UAVs play a crucial role in meeting the operational requirements of security forces, demonstrating remarkable effectiveness in disaster scenarios, such as earthquakes and fires.
In response to the earthquake in Elazığ, the Anka UAV, developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc. and deployed to security forces, swiftly arrived at the affected region. The Anka has been actively engaged in operations, particularly in Sivrice, providing essential snapshots for damage assessment and supporting search and rescue efforts. Subsequently, an additional Anka joined the mission, increasing the fleet to two vehicles. The Ankas continued to capture images for damage assessment and search and rescue operations, focusing on collapsed structures, and relayed real-time information to ground teams and command centers in Ankara. Notably, Anka also played a role in extinguishing a forest fire in Izmir the previous year. During the operation, it conducted aerial surveillance using night flight sensors at an altitude of 22 thousand feet, offering real-time images to support intervention efforts.
Equipped with capabilities such as camera systems, signal intelligence, radio relay, synthetic aperture radar (SAR), and weapon systems payloads, the Anka UAV excels in performing aerial surveillance even in adverse weather conditions. With the advanced SAR system developed by ASELSAN, the Anka provides high-resolution images within the physical constraints, enabling imaging and moving target detection through a specialized antenna design and innovative signal processing approaches.
While initially designed for military reconnaissance and surveillance applications, the Anka's capabilities extend to supporting post-natural disaster damage assessment, crisis management, urban planning, and cartography applications in civilian contexts. The integration of the OYT Voice Communication System further enhances its operational efficiency in these critical scenarios.