Turkish Aerospace (TUSAŞ) and the Ukrainian “Motor Sich” company signed a Heavy Duty Attack Helicopter engine contract. Within the scope of the agreement, 14 engines will be supplied from Ukraine, and the maiden flight of the Heavy Duty Attack Helicopter (T929) will be carried out in 2023.
The Presidency of Defence Industries (SSB) signed a contract with TUSAŞ for the Heavy Class Attack Helicopter Project on February 22, 2019, to meet the needs of the Turkish Land Forces Command.
The Heavy Duty Attack Helicopter (also known as ATAK II) will have approximately twice the take-off weight of the current T129 ATAK helicopter. T129 serves to Turkish Land Forces, Turkish Gendarmerie General Command and General Directorate of Security.
According to the agreement, the deliveries of the first two engines should begin in 2022 September and be completed by 2025. The Heavy Duty Attack will be equipped with 2,500 horsepowertv3-117twin engines. It will be a 10-ton class helicopter with 1 500 kg payload capacity.Russian Klimov and Ukrainian Motor Sich companies manufacture the same engine family. The engine powers up Ka-27, Mil Mi-8, Mi-24, Mi-28 helicopters.
President and CEO of TUSAŞ, Temel Kotil said, “We have completed another critical phase for our Heavy Duty Attack Helicopter. As TUSAŞ, we will make an ambitious entry to 2023 in the 100th anniversary of our Republic. It will be a year in which almost all of our projects will take flight.”
The agreement was signed by Marketing and Trade Director Pavel A. Kasay from Ukraine.
T929 is a twin-engine, tandem seat, multi-role, all-weather attack helicopter. It has asymmetrical weapon loading capability, high ammo-carrying capacity, low infra-red (IR) and acoustic trace, digital cockpit design, high ballistic resistance, advanced EW and countermeasure systems.
It can carry high-calibre cannons, new generation rockets, long-range anti-tank missiles and air-to-air missile systems.
It can be used for air-to-ground combat, air-to-air combat, armed reconnaissance and surveillance, close air support (CAS), armed escort, or joint offensive operations as a multi-role helicopter. It will be equipped with a Laser-based Helicopter Obstacle Detection System (HETS) and Fire Control Radar (MilDAR).
General characteristics of the T929 II Heavy Class Attack Helicopter:
| Maximum Take-off Weight | 10-ton class |
| Engine | tv3-117 |
| Weapon stations | 6 x underwing hardpoints |
| Maximum payload | 1,200kg (excluding launchers) |
| Cockpit | Tandem |
| Autopilot | 4 Axis |
| Service ceiling | 20,000ft |
| Maximum speed | 170 Kts |
| Operational envelope | -40° to +50°C |
| Armour | 12.7mm-resistant armoured cockpit |
| Missile and weapons station | High-caliber cannon (30mm), new generation 2,75-inch rockets, long-range and anti-tank missiles with different guidance systems and air-to-air missile systems |
