Tunisia Orders Turkish Anka Drones, Armored Vehicles worth $150 Million

Turkey marked the first international sale of its Anka medium-altitude long-endurance UAV to Tunisia along with armored vehicles and electro-optical systems altogether worth $150 million (TL 1.14 billion)

Turkey's Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) Chairperson Ismail Demir said Thursday that the last days of the year saw a high amount of defense industry exports from Turkey to Tunisia.

Under the coordination of the SSB, five local defense firms exported $150 million (TL 1.14 billion) worth of products, Turkey's Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) Chairperson Ismail Demir said in a post on Twitter.

The products include Turkish Aerospace Industries' (TAI) Anka medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) UAVs, BMC’s Kirpi mine-resistant ambush-protected (MRAP) vehicle, Nurol Makina’s Ejder Yalçın armored vehicles, various Katmerciler vehicles such as tankers and tanks, and ASELSAN’s electro-optic systems.

The products are for Tunisian security forces, Demir said, adding that this was the outcome of a Defense Industry Cooperation Meeting with Tunisian officials via videoconference.

The export of the Anka UAVs is the first time the product has been sold abroad. TAI will deliver three Anka UAVs and three Ground Control Systems to the Tunisian Air Force Command, according to a previous report by Turkish online news site Habertürk.

The financing of the exports will be provided through Türk Eximbank. The bank is to provide $80 million in loans to Tunisia, the Habertürk report stated.

Fifty-two Tunisian pilots and maintenance personnel will be given the necessary training at TAI facilities in the capital Ankara.