On December 16, 2023, the Turkish Ministry of Defense announced that the Aksungur Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) with tail number TCB-884 had been integrated into the Naval Forces Command. This significant development occurred during a ceremony at the Dalaman Naval Air Base Command on December 15, 2023, marking the successful completion of the Operative UAV Project by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), with this UAV being the final unit produced.
![Turkish UAV TAI Aksungur aka Gyrfalcon @Istanbul Airshow [4032 x 2268] : r/WarplanePorn](https://i.redd.it/l1g0fcebp1u91.jpg)
The inclusion of this UAV in the Turkish Naval Forces’ arsenal is part of Türkiye’s ongoing initiative to update its Armed Forces with locally developed military equipment. This step also signifies an increase in the Naval Forces’ surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, aligning with their operational requirements.
Showcased at the Paris Air Show 2023, the Aksungur UAV belongs to the Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) class of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and is designed for a range of missions, including Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR), ground attack, and maritime patrol. Manufactured by Turkish Aerospace, this MALE UAV has dimensions of 11.6 m in length, a wingspan of 24 m, and a height of 3.1 m. The Aksungur can reach a maximum service ceiling of 40,000 feet, has an endurance of 50 hours, a datalink range exceeding 250 km, and a payload capacity exceeding 750 kg, all while maintaining a maximum takeoff weight of 3,300 kg.