Turkiye expects Indonesia to ink a deal for TUSAŞ’s T625 Gökbey utility helicopter, marking the first export of Turkiye’s first indigenously designed helicopter.

Developed to replace the ageing UH-1 series of utility helicopters in Turkiye and fit in as a medium-light utility helicopter in the global market, T625 Gökbey has reportedly found its first export customer as Indonesia.

The first hint about expectation surfaced today during the ceremony held for Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s visit to Turkiye. General Manager of TUSAŞ, Dr Mehmet Demiroğlu wrote on his social media account that three Gökbey helicopter salute the Indonesian President Subianto. President Subianto was Indonesia's former defence minister and he is known for his keen interest in Turkish products.

 T625 has recently entered service with the Turkish Gendarmie units with a demonstration performed by the JÖAK (Gendarmie special forces unit focusing on search and rescue operations) earlier. Turkish Coast Guard is also planning on acquiring the helicopter to succeed the AB-412 helicopters.

 T625 Gökbey

T625 Gökbey is TUSAŞ’s first indigenous helicopter design as a step after the T129 ATAK attack helicopter in terms of self-sufficiency in helicopter design/development. The helicopter made its maiden flight in 2018.

The helicopter, with an MTOW of six tonnes and a passenger capacity of 12, can operate up to a range of 740+ km.

The helicopter is envisioned for use by military, coast guard, law enforcement, and civilian (VIP transport, cargo, ambulance...) service branches with corresponding customisations.

Honeywell’s CTS800 turboshaft engines power Gökbey’s initial production units with a power rating of 1300+ shp, while the later batches will use TEI’s TS1400 turboshaft with 1400+ shp rating. The same engine is also used for the T129 ATAK attack helicopters of TUSAŞ, a comprehensive development of the Italian A129 Mangusta for the Turkish Army.

Author: Kaan Azman

Editor: Özgür Ekşi