Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) announced that the engine of the ATAK II T929 attack helicopter, developed in Ukraine, will be produced in Turkey.
TUSAŞ Helicopter Deputy General Manager Mehmet Demiroğlu was quoted as saying by local media that the Ukrainian-origin engines for the ATAK-II helicopter will be produced in the country. Temel Kotil, CEO of TAI, had stated in the past that the T929 will make its first flight equipped with 2500 hp engines in 2023.
Three ATAK II attack helicopters will be handed over to the Land Forces Command in 2025.
ATAK-II will carry 1500 kg of ammunition. It will have nearly twice the take-off weight than the current ATAK rotorcraft. The helicopter can be tasked with air-to-ground combat, air-to-air combat, armed reconnaissance surveillance and close air support (CAS) operations. It will incorporate some sub-systems and components developed under T129 and the T625 Gökbey helicopter projects.
The T929 helicopter features tandem seats, asymmetrical weapons bay, high ammunition capacity, low infrared (IR) signature, digital cockpit, ballistic protection, improved avionics, electronic warfare and countermeasure capability.
The helicopter will be fitted with a nose-mounted forward-looking infrared (FLIR) turret that includes target-tracking functionality. The helicopter will also feature electronic warfare systems such as infrared/ultraviolet missile-warning sensors and a tail-mounted directed-infrared countermeasure (DIRCM) system to jam heat-seeking missiles.
