Philippines Air Force has taken delivery of the last two T129 ATAK helicopters in the six-helicopter batch. Secretary of Turkish Defence Industries (SSB) Professor Haluk Görgün announced the delivery of two helicopters. The other export customer of TUSAŞ T129 ATAK is the African country Nigeria. Nigeria is also a customer of the Bayraktar TB2 armed UAV. T129 is a twin-engine multirole attack helicopter produced under license from the Italian-British company AgustaWestland (now Leonardo) and based on the A129 Mangusta. The helicopter is powered by two LHTEC T800-4A turboshaft engines, each producing 1,014 kilowatts of output power. The engine was first designed for Boeing–Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche. It also powers Super Lynx helicopters. T129 can perform close air support, escort, and reconnaissance missions. In addition to its 20 mm M197 Gatling gun, the helicopter can use UMTAS ATGMs, guided/unguided rockets, and AIM-92 Stinger air-to-air missiles. The most recent version, Phase-II, has been fitted with missile warning and electronic warfare systems to protect the helicopter from air defence systems. The contract for the six T129 "Atak" helicopters, valued at $269 million, was signed on July 20, 2020.
Philippines Air Force discusses acquiring further six more T129 ATAK helicopters.
