The unmanned stealth aircraft ANKA-3, developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ), has caused significant concern in Greece. As Athens seeks an equivalent unmanned aircraft, it has turned its attention to the French experimental UAV Neuron. Greek media reports suggest that the Greek General Staff is preparing to present a joint production proposal to Dassault.
Disrupting Greece’s F-35 Supremacy Plans
ANKA-3 has disrupted Greece’s plans to establish superiority with F-35 jets. Aiming to possess an aircraft similar to ANKA-3, which is crucial for deep strike missions, Greek officials are eyeing the French Dassault’s delta-wing unmanned aircraft, Neuron. Georgios Sarris from the online newspaper Newsbeast claims that Greek Air Force Chief Lieutenant General Demosthenes Grigoriadis is preparing to approach Dassault Aviation with an offer to produce the Neuron.
Hope in the Neuron Project
First flown in 2012 and used by the French for radar tests, Neuron has also been tested by the Spanish and Italian armies. It has performed demonstration flights alongside the Rafale fighter jet and has gained increased significance with the acceleration of 6th generation fighter projects. Greek media argue that French willingness to share the Neuron project with Greece could be influenced by the fact that Greek engineers contributed 10% to its design.
Rejection of Local UAV Projects
Greek media note that the Neuron UAVs are 10 meters long, have a 12.5-meter wingspan, and can execute bombing missions with a 5-ton takeoff weight. They also suggest that Greece’s domestic UAV projects, Archytas and Gripa, will not proceed to mass production. Experts claim that these projects lag behind Turkish UAVs such as Bayraktar TB2, TB3, AKINCI, and KIZILELMA.
The Success and Future of ANKA-3
TUSAŞ’s ANKA-3 made its maiden flight on December 28, 2023, and is expected to enter service in 2025. A twin-engine version of ANKA-3 is also being developed. The Neuron project, which the French intend to use for both sacrificial and deep attack missions but has progressed slowly, might be revitalized due to the success of ANKA-3.
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