The Philippine Air Pressure (PAF) had its assault and tactical transport capabilities boosted with the formal acceptance of two brand-new Turkish-made T129 “ATAK” helicopters and an Airbus Protection and Area C-295 medium elevate plane Wednesday. The formal acceptance, turnover, and blessing of the 2 assault helicopters and a transport plane was on the 250th Presidential Air Wing Hangar, Villamor Air Base, Pasay Metropolis. Protection Secretary Delfin Lorenzana was the occasion’s guest-of-honor. Apart from Lorenzana, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) vice chief-of-staff Lt. Gen. Erickson Gloria and Jorge Moragas Sanchez; Ambassador of the Kingdom of Spain; and Dr. Ismail Demir, Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey additionally attended the occasion.
The primary two T129 assault helicopters, out of six models ordered, had been delivered to the PAF final March 9 aboard two A-400M transport 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 Turkish-made assault helicopters are anticipated to boost the “floor strike system” of the Air Pressure. The six T129s had been acquired by the PAF from the Turkish Aerospace Industries in step with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Modernization Plan – Horizon 2. The PAF’s fifteenth Strike Wing would function the T129s, which can be used for close-air help for floor troops and armed surveillance and reconnaissance.
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The T129 is a devoted assault helicopter, very similar to the (Bell) AH-1S Cobra. This new system will complement the a number of floor strike methods of the Air Pressure and can be one other game-changer in help to the quite a few missions of the AFP. The primary two models had been alleged to be delivered in December however this didn’t push by way of for nonetheless unknown causes. That is the full contract value for the six models of T129 helicopters — PHP13,727,248,240. That is to incorporate the logistics help and coaching of pilots and crew in Turkey. the contract for the acquisition of the Turkish assault helicopters in July 2020.
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)[1] with associate AgustaWestland. 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 programme was begun to fulfill 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.
It’s the first out of three C-295s ordered from Airbus Protection and Area below a brand new contract. It’s a half (of the) Modernization Program, which was accepted by the present administration. This undertaking will fill in our hole in airlift necessities. The contract for the three plane, which was signed in 2019, is price PHP5.288 billion. Three C-295 plane had been acquired below the Medium Raise Plane Acquisition Mission pursuant to the Republic Act (Quantity) 9184 or the Authorities Procurement Reform Act. The PAF’s 220th Airlift Wing of the Air Mobility Command will function these plane which can be utilized to move troops and tools to numerous elements of the nation. These planes will increase the 4 C-295 plane beforehand acquired by the PAF in 2015 and 2019.
The CASA C-295 (now Airbus C295) is a medium tactical transport plane that was designed by the Spanish firm CASA within the Nineteen Nineties as a improvement of the CASA/IPTN CN-235. It’s a improvement of the Spanish–Indonesian transport plane CASA/IPTN CN-235, however with a stretched fuselage, 50% extra payload functionality and new Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127G turboprop engines. When CASA was included into the European aeronautical group EADS in 2000, the plane was designated because the EADS CASA C-295. It made its first flight on 28 November 1997 and entered service with the Spanish Air Pressure in 2001. The C-295 is able to performing all kinds of missions successfully: tactical and logistical transport, parachute and cargo drop, medical evacuation, and maritime patrol.
