Turkey receives first batch of T129s

[Zarvan]

Turkey has now received its initial batch of nine T-129A attack helicopters. Source: TAI
Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) has completed the delivery of the first batch of T129 attack helicopters to the Turkish Armed Forces.

The batch comprises nine T129A helicopters built to an Early Delivery Helicopter (EDH) standard, with the final aircraft handed over in a ceremony on 31 July, a TAI spokesperson told IHS Jane's on 19 August.

Turkey selected and ordered the Agusta A129 in 2007 as the basis for Turkey's attack and tactical reconnaissance (ATAK) programme. In total 51 of the locally modified and built T129s were ordered, with an option for 41 more (although current figures are for 50 plus 40).

The initial batch of nine helicopters (described as A129s at the time) was ordered by Turkey in 2010 as a stop-gap measure for use against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) until the T129 entered service, after attempts to acquire 12 Bell AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopters from the United States fell through.

According to local media reports, the T129s have already been involved in the recently renewed fighting against the PKK.

TAI said production has now begun in Ankara of the main batch of 50 T129B helicopters. The first of these is expected to be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2015, with deliveries running until 2018.

The first 30 T129Bs will be of an initial T129B1 (TUC-1) standard, featuring an Aselsan mission computer; AselFLIR-300T nose-mounted targeting turret, EW, and countermeasures; Thales helmet-mounted cueing system; and Hellfire II or Spike ER missiles. The final 20 helicopters will be of the T129B2 (TUC-2) standard, including an Aselsan AVCI helmet-mounted cueing system; Roketsan UMTAS anti-tank missiles and Cirit laser-guided 70 mm rockets; and improved UHF/VHF communications.

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Turkey receives first batch of T129s - IHS Jane's 360

 

[Zarvan]

I still wish instead of going for WZ-10 we buy 40 of these @Horus

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

Looking great for Turkey well done

 

[Hurshid Celebi]

I still wish instead of going for WZ-10 we buy 40 of these @Horus

China gifts three WZ-10 Attack Helicopters; More is to follow.
Posted on March 7, 2015
By Ahsan Muhyuddin
Islamabad: Three of China’s newest WZ-10 gunship helicopters have reportedly arrived in Pakistan after Beijing announced it will gift the helicopters to its closest ally Islamabad with 2 more to arrive by October.
The WZ-10, or simply Z-10s, is designed primarily for anti-tank missions with secondary air-to-air capabilities that will reportedly be added to the Pakistan Army aviation fleet and be deployed in the ongoing fight against terrorism in the country. The helicopter is said to be capable of targeting the enemy in the air or on the ground with a range of 3-4 kilometers without appearing on radar.
Though the machine is not battle proven, as China is not engaged in any armed conflict with any country, experts suggest one of the reasons behind free delivery is to test and evaluate the WZ-10 in real battle environment, like Pakistan’s war affected Tribal regions.
There were reports in the past that Pakistan is evaluating the Turkish T-129 Atak Gunship Helicopter, a lighter Design compared to the Z-10, to replace its aging Fleets of AH-1 Cobra helicopters but there has been no final word from the Government of Pakistan on the transfer as one of the suggested reasons is that it uses the American engine T-129 which bounds the Turkish Government over transfer of technology, as Turkey is a NATO-member.
The WZ-10 design is more updated with reduced RCS (radar cross-sectional area) and stealth coating. The advance HMS (Helmet Mounted Display) makes targeting and fire of ATGM easy for Pakistani Aviation pilots.
Plus the KD-1 missile in terms of range and payload is superior to anything that the Turkish T-129 has to offer, because Pakistan needs Armor-Penetrating weapons to counter any Indian Armored-thrust attack in the future.
Duowei News, a US-based Chinese political news outlet, revealed that the new Z-10 helicopters will only enhance Pakistan’s position against India, which is about to pair its domestically produced light combat helicopters with newly imported AH-64 Apache attack helicopters manufactured by Boeing , an American company.
In the opinion of Military experts, there is still a sizable gap between the power systems of Z-10s and Apaches; The Chinese aircraft’s body design and weapon system configurations are comparable to the world’s most advanced attack helicopters especially because of the excellent performance of its TY-90 air-to-air missiles.
China may have already been collecting information on its domestically produced weaponry acquired by Pakistan in recent years including the MBT-3000 tank, the JF-17 Thunder combat aircraft and the F-22P general purpose frigates operated by PN. The decision to make the Z-10s a gift instead of selling them could therefore stem from Pakistan’s limited defense budget and China’s relatively friendly and robust arms industry.

 

[IR-TR]

Wow, you'd think there would be a little more discussion about this? Anyway, congratulations Turkey and TSK! May they be used a lot and contribute to a safe and prosperous Turkey!

 

[Hurshid Celebi]

Güzel dalga geciyorsun, bende bazen egleniyorum

 

[BordoEnes]

Wow, you'd think there would be a little more discussion about this? Anyway, congratulations Turkey and TSK! May they be used a lot and contribute to a safe and prosperous Turkey!

Well actually this has been known for quite a while now. Thats why its barelly news to us

 

[IR-TR]

Well actually this has been known for quite a while now. Thats why its barelly news to us

Ah, makes sense.

 

[Bismarck]

Aselsan 'Cats' is not in use, right?

 

[airmarshal]

Exciting news. Congrats Turkey.

Wish to see these helicopters in Pakistan livery.

 

[Hurshid Celebi]

Thanks to Defenceturk community, low weight- coming together with MILRAD/Mildar ond the T-129 Bs