TAI/AgustaWestland T-129
| T-129 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| An Agusta A129 Mangusta at Air 04, Payerne, Switzerland. The T-129 looks very similar. | |
| Role | Attack helicopter |
| National origin | Italy / Turkey |
| Manufacturer | TAI / AgustaWestland |
| First flight | 28 September 2009 |
| Status | In development/flight testing |
| Primary user | Turkish Army |
| Program cost | US$ 3.2 billion[1] |
| Developed from | Agusta A129 Mangusta |
Design and development
Turkey announced on 30 March 2007 that it had decided to negotiate with AgustaWestland to purchase 51 (+40 optional) A129 helicopters.[2][3][4] Based on the A129 International, they will be assembled in Turkey by TAI as the T-129. The deal is reported to be worth $3 billion.[5] The final contract was signed on 7 September 2007.[6]On 22 June 2008, the agreement between TUSAS Aerospace Industries and AgustaWestland formally entered into force. It has now been confirmed that the T-129 will be a 100% Turkish built platform. The Turkish name of the project is "ATAK", meaning attack in Turkish.[citation needed] Under the agreement, TAI will develop an indigenous mission computer, avionics, weapons systems, self-protection suites and the helmet-mounting cuing systems. TUSAS Engine Industries Inc (TEI) will manufacture the LHTEC CTS800-4N engines under licence. Under the agreement, Turkey has full marketing and intellectual property rights for the T-129 platform. There are also no restrictions imposed on Turkey for the export or transfer of the platform to third countries (excluding Italy and the United Kingdom).[7]
The T-129 has several key improvements over the original A129 inline with the requirements of the Turkish Army.[8] The T-129 will carry 12 Roketsan-developed UMTAS anti-tank missiles (Turkish indigenous development similar to Hellfire II).[9] It will use the more powerful LHTEC T800 (CTS800-4) engine.[10]
The T-129 will feature a 20 mm gatling style cannon on a nose turret. It will be able to carry combinations of 70 mm rocket pods, Stinger air-air missile pods, and gun pods on its stub wing pylons.[11]
On 16 July 2007, TÜBİTAK (Turkish State Research Organization), Meteksan Savunma Sanayii A.Ş and Bilkent University formed a consortium for the development of an advanced millimetre wave radar, similar to the Longbow and the IAI/ELTA radars. It is planned that the radar will enter service in mid-2009.[12][13]
According to Savunma ve Havacılık (Defence and Aerospace) magazine, the 51 T-129 attack helicopters will be assigned as follows. One helicopter will be kept by the Turkish Ministry of Defense and will be used as a test-bed for systems development. The remaining 50 helicopters will be delivered to the Turkish Army. An optional 40 more T-129 helicopters will be produced if necessary. The T-129 helicopters will be in two different configurations, TUC-1 and TUC-2 (TUC: Turkish Configuration).[14]
In November 2010 Turkey ordered an additional nine T-129s to increase its total ordered to 60.[15][16] The nine are to meet an urgent operational requirement for the Turkish Army and will be built by AgustaWestland in Italy for delivery in 2012, one year before the start of delivery of Turkish-built helicopters.[17]
Operational history
Flight testing
On 28 September 2009, the first flight of the T-129 P1 prototype took place at AgustaWestland's facilities in Vergiate, Italy.[18]On the 19 March 2010, the first T-129 prototype (P1) conducted high altitude hover tests near Verbania, Italy after having completed several successful test flights. During the hover test T-129 P1 lost its tail rotor at 15,000 feet. Test pilot Cassioli regained enough control to steer away from residential area before crashing. The helicopter's crew escaped serious injuries.[19][20]
On 17 August 2011, Turkish Aerospace Industries announced the first successful flight of the T-129 prototype "P6", that was produced at its facilities in Ankara. The tested prototype was the first of three prototypes to be assembled in Turkey.[21]
Future and potential operators
According to news reports Azerbaijan,[22] Jordan, Malaysia, Pakistan, South Korea,[23] and United Arab Emirates have shown interest in the T-129.[24] In 2011, Saudi Arabia asked Turkey to enter a tender to produce attack helicopters for the Saudi Air Force.[25]Variants
- T-129 (AgustaWestland AW729[26]) Turkish attack helicopter based on the A129 International.[27] It will be built and assembled by TAI in Turkey. The first 30 will be TUC-1, with the following aircraft will be TUC-2.
- T-129 TUC-1 will have an indigenous mission computer, indigenous EW and countermeasures, Aselsan AselFLIR-300, Thales helmet-mounted cueing system,[28] and a foreign missile (either Hellfire II or Spike ER).
- T-129 TUC-2 will have an indigenous mission computer, indigenous EW and countermeasures, Aselsan AselFLIR-300, Aselsan AVCI helmet-mounted cueing system, Roketsan UMTAS missile, and Roketsan Cirit Laser guided 70 mm (2.75 in) rocket.
Operators
- Turkish Army has ordered a combined 60 T-129s.[16]
Specifications (T-129)
- Crew: 2: pilot and co-pilot/gunner
- Length: 14.6 m (47 ft 11 in)
- Rotor diameter: 11.90 m (39 ft 0 in)
- Height: 3.4 m (11 ft 2 in)
- Disc area: 111.22 m² (1,197.25 ft²)
- Max. takeoff weight: 5,000 kg (11,023 lb)
- Powerplant: 2 × LHTEC CTS800-4A turboshaft, 1,014 kW (1,361 shp) each
- Rotor systems: 5 blades on main rotor
- Cruise speed: 269 km/h (145 knots, 167 mph)
- Range: 561 km (303 nmi, 341 mi)
- Ferry range: 1,000 km (540 nmi, 620 mi)
- Service ceiling: 6,096 m (20,000 ft)
- Rate of climb: 14.0 m/s (2,750 ft/min)
- Guns: 1× 20 mm (0.787 in) three-barrel gatling-type cannon (500 rounds)
- Rockets: 4 pods with
- 38× 81 mm (3.19 in) unguided rockets or
- 76× 70 mm (2.75 in) unguided rockets or
- 12.7 mm (0.50 in) machine gun-pod
- Missiles:
- 8× AGM-114 Hellfire, BGM-71 TOW, Hydra 70, Spike-ER, UMTAS, Roketsan Cirit anti-tank and anti-armor missiles and Sura D/Snora.
- 4-8× AIM-92 Stinger or Mistral or AIM-9 Sidewinder anti-aircraft missiles
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