ISLAMABAD – Pakistan and Turkey have agreed on the sale of a batch of 30Turkish-made T129 ATAK multirole combat helicopters.
The T129 is Turkey’s first locally manufactured platform under license. TheT129 features a tandem seat cockpit, twin-engines and NATO-interoperabilityfor attack, armed reconnaissance, precision-strike and deep-strike missioncapabilities for day and night in all weather conditions.
It can be armed with anti-tank missiles, various rocket pods and has anose-mounted chaingun.
According to a political manifesto unveiled by Turkish President RecepTayyip Erdogan, Pakistan and Turkey recently agreed on terms on the largestever defence contract signed between the two countries.
The two countries have been negotiating a T129 deal since 2014. This is thefirst export contract for the helicopter.
Turkish Aerospace Industries, or TAI, maker of the T129 under license fromthe Italian-British AgustaWestland, has so far delivered 35 T129s to theTurkish Army and the Gendarmerie force.
With the Pakistan Army having already ordered 12 US-built Bell AH-1ZVipers, it had since 2014 been testing the Chinese-built Z-10 theTurkish-made T129 since 2016.
Pakistan Army Aviation commander Major General Nasir Shah told Janesearlier in the year that Islamabad was considering only a number of optionsto replace the ageing fleet of Bell AH-1 Cobras. The country recentlyreceived four Mi-35 attack helicopters from Russia, and will soon receiveAH-1Z Viper attack helicopters.
“Army Aviation has plans to further enhance its attack helicopter fleet,and various options are currently being considered and evaluated,” Gen Shahsaid on January 31 at the IQPC Military Helicopter conference in London.
“The [current 32] AH-1 helicopters have provided effective close supportfor our ground forces engaged in counter-insurgency [COIN] operations, butthey cannot be employed effectively in high-altitude operations above 8,000ft,” he added.
Before the deal, the T129 went through various tests in Pakistan. Mostrecently, the T129 was showcased at a March 23 military parade forPakistani National Day.
“We expect further [T-129] contracts to follow the order from Pakistan,” aTurkish defense procurement official told IHS Janes.
The Turkish government has not disclosed a price for the T129 deal withPakistan, but aerospace industry sources estimate the contract to be worthabout $1.5 billion, almost equivalent of Turkey’s annual defense exports