A supply agreement was signed between TUSAŞ and TEI for 100 TEI-PD170 indigenous turbodiesel engines for the ANKA and AKSUNGUR UAV programmes. Announced at SAHA 2026, the agreement stands out as a critical step in Türkiye’s localisation and independence goals in the field of aviation engines.
Localisation and operational capability in the national UAV fleet will increase with TEI-PD170 engines
A new procurement step has been taken for two platforms of critical importance to Türkiye’s unmanned aerial vehicle ecosystem. A contract was signed between TUSAŞ and TEI – TUSAŞ Engine Industries for the supply of 100 TEI-PD170 turbodiesel aviation engines to be used in the ANKA and AKSUNGUR UAV programmes.
The agreement, signed במסגרת SAHA Expo 2026, one of the most important organisations in the defence and aviation industry, is regarded as a new milestone strengthening Türkiye’s progress in indigenous engine technologies.
Operational capability of ANKA and AKSUNGUR is expanding
ANKA and AKSUNGUR, which are among the proven platforms of the Turkish defence industry in the field, have achieved significant success in recent years both in the operations of the Turkish Armed Forces and in export markets.
With the newly signed agreement, the localisation rate in the engine supply of these platforms will be further strengthened. Under previous agreements, 40 TEI-PD170 engines had already been delivered for the ANKA and AKSUNGUR platforms.
The first induction of AKSUNGUR into inventory with the indigenous TEI-PD170 engine in December 2025 had also become one of the critical milestones for Türkiye’s engine independence.
TEI-PD170 is not only an engine but also a strategic force multiplier
As Türkiye’s first national turbodiesel aviation engine, the TEI-PD170 stands out as one of the important engines in its class with its technical capabilities.
The system, which has an engine life of 3,600 hours, offers advantages such as rapid climb to high altitude, more efficient fuel consumption, and high electricity generation capacity. These features directly affect platform performance, especially in reconnaissance, surveillance, and armed missions requiring long endurance.
The ability to produce the engine entirely with indigenous resources and engineering capability also carries a separate strategic value in terms of a sustainable supply chain in the defence industry.
Engine independence becomes decisive in export success
Recent global developments in the defence industry have revealed that dependence on foreign suppliers for engines and critical subsystems can directly affect platform exports.
For this reason, the wider use of indigenous engines in export-successful platforms such as ANKA and AKSUNGUR is regarded as one of the critical factors expanding Türkiye’s room for manoeuvre in the international market.
According to experts, increasing the production capacity of the TEI-PD170 will create an important industrial infrastructure that will support not only current UAV programmes but also next-generation unmanned aerial vehicles to be developed in the future.
The indigenous engine ecosystem is growing
The new agreement between TUSAŞ and TEI is considered one of the important links in Türkiye’s “fully independent aviation ecosystem” strategy, which has accelerated in recent years.
Engine technologies are among the fields requiring the highest level of engineering capability in the aviation sector. Therefore, Türkiye’s enhancement of not only platform development but also engine development and mass production capacity is becoming one of the determining factors in global competition.
With the new agreement, it is considered that the operational sustainability of both the ANKA and AKSUNGUR programmes will be strengthened and that indigenous engine technologies will become more visible in the international market.
