The Philippine Air Pressure (PAF) introduced that two of the six items of the Turkish-made T129 “ATAK” assault helicopters it has acquired arrived at Clark Air Base, Pampanga early Wednesday. The A-400Ms are cargo plane of the Turkish Air Pressure. One of many A-400Ms carried the 2 helicopters whereas the opposite plane transported the preliminary logistics requirement of the 2 T129s. The helicopters would endure technical inspection and flight checks earlier than being accepted for service to the PAF. It should endure inspection, it should endure acceptance (take a look at), take a look at flights earlier than the acceptance ceremonies might be completed and it’ll undergo a whole lot of orientation in (the) nation, along with the pilots and the crew.
The 2 T129 helicopters are to be commissioned inside one or two months on the most. The Turkish-made assault helicopters are anticipated to reinforce the “floor strike system” of the Air Pressure. The six T129s have been acquired by the PAF from the Turkish Aerospace Industries consistent with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Modernization Plan – Horizon 2. The PAF’s fifteenth Strike Wing would function the T129s, which might be used for close-air help for floor troops and armed surveillance and reconnaissance. The T129 is a devoted assault helicopter, very like the (Bell) AH-1S Cobra. This new system will complement the a number of floor strike methods of the Air Pressure and might be one other game-changer in help of the quite a few missions of the AFP.
Commercial
On 18 December 2018, the Philippines and Turkey signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Protection Trade Cooperation that can enable Authorities-to-Authorities (G2G) acquisition and manufacturing, in addition to technical cooperation on protection trade growth. The primary two items have been imagined to be delivered in December however this didn’t push by means of for nonetheless unknown causes. That is the entire contract value for the 6 items of T129 helicopters PHP13,727,248,240. That is to consists of the logistics help and coaching of pilots and crew in Turkey. The PAF is buying devoted however reasonably priced assault helicopters to beef up its fleets of lightly-armed helicopters, such because the MG-520 and AW-109E which might be getting used for counter-terror and floor help missions.
The TAI/AgustaWestland T129 ATAK is a twin-engine, tandem seat, multi-role, all-weather assault helicopter based mostly on the Agusta A129 Mangusta platform. The T129 was developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) with accomplice Agusta Westland. The helicopter is designed for superior assault and reconnaissance missions in sizzling and excessive environments and tough geography in each day and night time situations. The ATAK program was begun to satisfy the Turkish Armed Forces’ necessities for an assault and tactical reconnaissance helicopter. The T129 is the results of the mixing of Turkish-developed avionics, airframe modifications, and weapon methods onto the AgustaWestland A129 airframe, with upgraded engines, transmission, and rotor blades. The helicopter has a unit price of roughly US$50 million.
