Turkey has agreed to collaborate with Kazakhstan in manufacturing Anka unmanned aerial vehicles.

The agreement was reached when Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev paid an official visit to Ankara with a large delegation last week.

A total of 15 deals in transportation, defense, military intelligence, and information technologies were signed between the two nations during the visit.

As part of the Anka agreement, engineers from Kazakhstan will design and build the medium-altitude, long-endurance drone with the help of the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI).

The collaboration will include technology transfer, maintenance, and repairs.

“We are very excited to establish a new production base for our ANKA,” TAI General Manager Temel Kotil said , as quoted by Overt Defense . “We are proud that our ANKA, which we developed with domestic resources, is so popular abroad. We will contribute to the strengthening of our commercial and friendship ties with Kazakhstan.”

Once finalized, the agreement will make Kazakhstan the first Anka drone production facility outside Turkey.

The Anka unmanned aerial vehicle features a flight control computer that provides autonomous waypoint navigation and flight control.

Its autonomous system also enables the drone to automatically return to a predetermined location in case of a loss of communication with its ground control station.

The aircraft is ideal for surveillance due to its electro-optic/infrared camera, capable of capturing high-resolution imagery and video day or night.

The Anka also has an identification friend or foe system, a laser designator, and a laser range finder.

“With the double redundant computers, redundant flight control sensors, and redundant surface control movers, the Anka system features a safe autonomous operation from take-off until landing,” TAI states on its website.

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