UAV
MQ-1C Gray Eagle vs TAI Anka
Both are division-level armed ISR platforms built around heavy-fuel engines and national datalinks — one for the US Army, one for the Turkish Air Force. The pairing illustrates how two allies solved the same corps-reconnaissance requirement independently.
Specification comparison
| Specification | MQ-1C Gray Eagle | TAI Anka |
|---|---|---|
| Endurance | 25 h | 30 h |
| Ceiling | 8839 m | 9144 m |
| Max speed | 309 km/h | 217 km/h |
| MTOW | 1633 kg | 1700 kg |
| Payload | 261 kg internal + 227 kg external | 350 kg |
| Hardpoints | 4 | 4 |
| Nav | GNSS/INS | GNSS/INS |
| Seeker | EO/IR + LRF/D + SAR | EO/IR + LRF |
Values are reproduced exactly as recorded in the DroneZone systems database. Where a figure is absent from the public record, it is marked “Not publicly disclosed” rather than estimated.
How to read this
On the attributes both systems publish as directly comparable numbers, the recorded figures break down as follows.
- MQ-1C Gray Eagle lists 25 h endurance against TAI Anka's 30 h.
- MQ-1C Gray Eagle lists 8839 m ceiling against TAI Anka's 9144 m.
- MQ-1C Gray Eagle lists 309 km/h max speed against TAI Anka's 217 km/h.
- MQ-1C Gray Eagle lists 1633 kg mtow against TAI Anka's 1700 kg.
- Both list 4 hardpoints.
Figures as stated by manufacturers and public documentation; class-level estimates are marked as such in the entries themselves.