Malaysian Air Force Receives First Anka UAV from Turkey

Malaysia has received its first Anka-S UAVs from Turkey, with three aircraft delivered to the Royal Malaysian Air Force and stationed at Labuan Air Base.

This is according to information published by Turkish media outlet SavunmaTR.

Produced by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), the Anka-S UAVs are fitted with sensors for maritime surveillance and a modified wing structure. The platforms will be used to monitor the South China Sea and waters near the Philippines, covering key sea lanes and contested maritime zones.

In July 2025, Defense Minister Dato' Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said RMAF personnel assigned to the system were undergoing hands-on operational training with the manufacturer in Turkey. Malaysia’s acquisition of the three Anka-S drones and associated systems was finalized under a government-to-government contract signed at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition in 2023.

The deployment at Labuan is intended to improve surveillance across Malaysia’s exclusive economic zone, including areas regularly transited by Chinese vessels and suspected maritime militia ships. Malaysian defense officials have linked the move to the need for sustained monitoring of resource-rich waters amid overlapping maritime claims and increased Chinese patrol activity.