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Turkish Aerospace Industries delivers new T-129 batch to Turkish Armed Forces
As per the Turkish Ministry of Defence, Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) has delivered the 20th and 21st T-129 ATAK attack helicopters to the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK). The T-129s are expected to be in TSK service by the end of this month.
The TSK reportedly committed to a firm 50 T-129s with an option for an additional 40 aircraft. The T-129 is being deployed as a multi-mission platform capable of scouting/reconnaissance, anti-tank operations, and close air support (CAS) for infantry.
With nearly half of the current TSK order completed, TAI has reached a significant production milestone. Several initiatives are underway to expand TAI’s T-129 activities.
Last year, TAI actively marketed the T-129 to Pakistan. A T-129 was sent to Pakistan for testing in June 2016, where it was examined for its hot-and-high and endurance performance. In November 2016, TAI stated that it was waiting for Pakistan to open negotiations. Last month, TAI’s CEO, Temel Kotil, claimed that a sale will be reached in the “coming months.”
The T-129’s current powerplant, the LHTEC CTS800, was also selected for the TAI T-625 utility helicopter. In May 2016, LHTEC began talks with Turkish investors to enable Turkish industry firms, such as TUSAŞ Engine Industries (TEI), to assemble CTS800 turboshaft engines as well as manufacture parts and manage its maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) activities.
The Turkish Undersecretariat for Defence Industries (SSM) also commissioned TEI to develop a domestic turboshaft engine for the T-129, T-625 and Hürkuş.
3 Comments
by Ali
this is good to see such advance development inthe field of defence by a muslim country ,also need other muslim counties to cooperate with each other in the field of defence production and research and development.
by Shaheer Anjum
There’s been some recent visible cooperative activities, just go back and read through some of the previous Quwa articles.
by Shaheer Anjum
I wonder when the Turkish authorities will get to TAI? It would appear that they are on a serious purge campaign targeting Gulen’s supporters (genuine or otherwise). Aselsan just got the anti-Gulen treatment and lost a bunch of specialists and engineers. Let’s see what sort of affect it has on the defense industries in that nation.