Turkish T129 Helicopters Reached The Philippines

The Philippine Air Force Public Affairs Office announced that Turkish Aerospace (TUSAŞ) made two T129 ATAK helicopters reached the country. The helicopters are delivered to Clark Air Base, Mabalacat City by Turkish Air Force A400M air lifters.

The two T129 and their initial logistics support were loaded onboard two A400M of the Turkish Air Force. The PAF acquired six units of the T129 aircraft from TUSAŞ in line with the AFP Modernization Plan - Horizon 2.

15th Strike Wing of the Philippine Air Force will operate the T-129 helicopters and used at Close Air Support (CAS) missions and armed surveillance and reconnaissance.

The Air Force said, “The T129 is a dedicated attack helicopter much like the AH-1S Cobra; this new system will complement the several surface strike systems of the Air Force and will be another game-changer in support to the numerous missions of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.”

Turkish T129 Helicopters Reached The Philippines

This marks the first helicopter export of Turkey and the programme. The deal Turkey inked with Italy includes the export rights. The helicopters are expected to undergo PAF acceptance checks before being assigned to the PAF"s 15th Strike Wing. The PAF chose the T129B ATAK in a competition for a dedicated attack helicopter need, competing against the Bell AH-1Z Viper, Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian, and other Russian and European aircraft. 
TUSAŞ is slated to provide four more helicopters between 2023 and 2024. It is largely speculated that the delivery of helicopters was delayed due to the export license issues between the United States and Turkish governments. The US-UK company LHTEC produces the T129’s engines. TurDef learned that the licences were granted a long time ago. Helicopters are delivered with delay because the training of pilots was completed with delay. 