Three Anka THS Drones officially became the latest assets of the Royal Malaysian Air Force last Tuesday with a handover ceremony held at the Labuan Air Base attended by the Minister of Defence Dato’ Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin. All three drones were ordered by the RMAF on May 25, 2023 during an event at a price of RM 423.8 million.
The price includes three drones, a drone control center, crew training in Turkey as well as logistical support by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) which manufactures the drones. The Anka THS used by Malaysia is modified with a different radar system from that used by other users as it is based on the Anka S model that has been produced by TAI since 2010.
In addition, the Anka THS wing design has also been reported to have been modified according to the RMAF configuration. This is the reason why the drones only arrived in Labuan in January this year with the first flight in Malaysian space carried out on April 3. 6 pilots and 6 technicians received their flight wings in Turkey in December last year after undergoing 5 months of training.
The Anka THS is a Medium Altitude Endurance (MALE) Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) drone that can fly for more than 24 hours at an altitude of around 30,000 feet. With SATCOM support, the Anka THS can perform missions over the horizon with the help of satellites compared to only 100 miles from a control center using radio signals.
Before purchasing the Anka THS, Malaysia received 12 Insitu ScanEagle drones under the Maritime Security Initiative program, the United States, to monitor the waters. The ScanEagle is small in size to allow it to be launched from a RMN ship.
The RMAF purchased the Anka THS for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) purposes in Malaysian waters, especially in East Malaysia. Previously, fighter and reconnaissance aircraft were sent to perform the same mission but this was costly. The use of UAS is not only cheaper but the mission can be carried out for longer than regular aircraft.
Although the Anka S drone is designed to carry weapons such as rockets, micro bombs, and laser-guided anti-tank missiles, the RMAF Anka THS is not equipped with weapons to show that Malaysia only wants to use it as an ISR platform and not as a weapon.
At the same handover ceremony, Dato’ Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin confirmed that the government will order three more Anka THS to double the RMAF’s capabilities under the second phase of the procurement programme. With six drones, the entire Peninsular and East Malaysia can be monitored at all times.
