TUSAŞ AKSUNGUR Deliveries Explained: How Many, and the Navy’s Maritime Role

AKSUNGUR is the heavy, high-payload member of the ANKA family. With a wingspan exceeding 24 m and a twin-engine layout, it carries far more payload and stays aloft far longer than single-engine peers, making it ideal for the uninterrupted surveillance of large maritime areas.

Fitted with electro-optical/infrared cameras, synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) and various smart munitions, AKSUNGUR performs day-and-night ISR as well as precision strike. Its high payload allows different sensor and weapon combinations on a single sortie.

The lead operator is the Naval Forces Command, which first fielded the type with its 312th UAV Squadron. Later deliveries brought the Air Force and special-mission units into the operator base.

AKSUNGUR was unveiled at IDEF 2019 and first flew the same year. After extensive testing it entered service with the Turkish Navy on 20 October 2021.

TUSAŞ builds AKSUNGUR in Ankara. A key milestone was the fully indigenous PD-170-powered AKSUNGUR entering inventory in December 2025, with production accelerating as engine supply scales.

Per open sources, a total of 5 AKSUNGUR have been delivered to date for the Navy, Air Force and special missions. On the engine side, 40 TEI PD-170 units have been delivered for the ANKA and AKSUNGUR programs, and a new contract for 100 more was signed at SAHA 2026 — pointing to a clear increase in AKSUNGUR production in the coming years.

AKSUNGUR’s most distinctive mission is maritime surveillance. Long endurance and a wide datalink range make it well suited to continuously monitoring Türkiye’s broad maritime jurisdiction, scanning large sea areas for hours on a single sortie.

TUSAŞ is enhancing AKSUNGUR with new capabilities, including torpedo integration for anti-submarine warfare (ASW). With sonobuoys and maritime search radar, AKSUNGUR is evolving toward an unmanned maritime patrol aircraft role.

AKSUNGUR uses two indigenous TEI PD-170 turbodiesel engines of ~170 hp each. The twin-engine layout enables both its high payload and safe long-range maritime missions. PD-170 is the same indigenous engine used on ANKA, so — unlike the Rotax-powered TB2 or the imported-engine AKINCI — AKSUNGUR has an end-to-end domestic powerplant.

The 100-unit PD-170 contract signed between TUSAŞ and TEI at SAHA 2026 secures engine supply for both ANKA and AKSUNGUR production.

The prime contractor is TUSAŞ (Ankara). Its high payload lets AKSUNGUR carry varied mission-payload and munitions combinations.

• Engine: 2 × indigenous TEI PD-170 turbodiesel
• Mission payload: ASELSAN electro-optical/infrared cameras, synthetic-aperture radar (SAR)
• Munitions: Roketsan smart munitions (MAM family) and heavier guided weapons; torpedo development for ASW
• Manufacturer: TUSAŞ — engine supplier TEI

AKSUNGUR is the key platform meeting Türkiye’s unmanned maritime-surveillance need through domestic production. Its high payload and long endurance make it a cost-effective complement to crewed maritime patrol aircraft.

With twin indigenous PD-170 engines and national mission systems, AKSUNGUR exemplifies an end-to-end domestic supply chain. Together with ANKA and ANKA-3, it shows how TUSAŞ’s UAV family now spans a wide mission set reaching from land to strategic depth at sea.

AKSUNGUR was first delivered to the Turkish Naval Forces Command on 20 October 2021.

Per open sources, 5 units have been delivered to date for the Navy, Air Force and special missions.

Yes. AKSUNGUR uses two indigenous TEI PD-170 turbodiesel engines of ~170 hp each.

It carries 750 kg of payload and can stay airborne for up to 60 hours.

Primarily maritime patrol/surveillance, plus ISR and precision strike. Torpedo integration for anti-submarine warfare is in development.

AKSUNGUR is twin-engine; it carries a heavier payload and stays aloft longer than ANKA. Both use the indigenous PD-170 engine.