Turkey’s ANKA III Stealth Drone Tests Radar-Decoying Super Şimşek for Unmanned Combat

Turkish Aerospace Industries has successfully conducted a test of its ANKA III stealth unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), deploying a jet-powered Super Şimşek decoy to emulate fighter jets and mislead enemy radar systems. This milestone, announced via a statement on X on Tuesday, underscores Turkey’s progress in integrating unmanned systems with manned aircraft for combat scenarios.

The trial took place at 10,130 feet (3,060 meters) with the ANKA III traveling at 150 knots, advancing Turkey’s pursuit of the “loyal wingman” concept. This approach, gaining traction worldwide, focuses on using drones to shield piloted aircraft during high-threat missions.

The test highlighted the synergy between ANKA III and Super Şimşek, aligning with Turkey’s Autonomous Wingman Concept to enhance collaborative manned-unmanned operations.

Introduced in 2023, the ANKA III is a low-observable, flying-wing UCAV that completed its first flight in December of that year. Capable of reaching Mach 0.7, it operates at altitudes up to 40,000 feet, carries 1,200 kilograms of payload, and offers a 10-hour endurance. Designed for air-to-ground and air-to-air roles, it features stealth attributes like a tailless design and radar-absorbing geometry to minimize detection in contested environments.

The Super Şimşek, initially a target drone, has a 200-kilogram weight, achieves Mach 0.9, and boasts a 700-kilometer range. It can carry radar and infrared enhancers to simulate larger aircraft, along with explosive payloads, jammers, and sensors, enabling it to deceive radar and support coordinated attacks on air defense systems.

Haluk Görgün, secretary of Turkey’s Defense Industry Agency (SSB), called the test an achievement that “clearly demonstrates the advanced stage of our strike UCAV concept.”

“High-altitude and high-speed systems like these showcase the engineering level our defense industry has achieved in unmanned systems,” Görgün said on X.

At the IDEX 2025 defense exhibition in Abu Dhabi, USAŞ General Manager Mehmet Demiroğlu explained that the Super Şimşek can replicate aircraft like F-16s, F-35s, or Turkey’s KAAN stealth fighter on enemy radar. The KAAN, Turkey’s first homegrown stealth jet, flew for the first time in 2023, bolstering the nation’s defense autonomy.

Demiroğlu noted that this deception capability allows the drone to provoke enemy air defenses, exposing them to attacks from other UAS, thereby clearing safe paths for additional aircraft.