Philippines receives second batch of 2 T129B ATAK attack helicopters

 

Two T129B ATAK helicopters unloaded from Turkish Air Gorce A400M transport aircraft at Clark Air Base. Photo c/o MaxDefense Philippines.

Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) has delivered the second batch of two T129B ATAK attack helicopters for the Philippine Air Force (PAF).

This brings the total delivery to 4, with the last batch of two more T129B helicopters expected to be completed and delivered by 2023.

The helicopters were delivered by two A400M Atlas transport aircraft of the Turkish Air Force and arrived at Clark Air Base, north of Manila, on 25 November 2022.

The new helicopters will complete assembly locally with supervision from TAI, and will be undergoing localized testing and inspections before formally accepted and inducted with the PAF.

The T129s will be joining earlier examples delivered early this year, as well as other attack helicopters of the PAF including the Bell AH-1S Cobra, AgustaWestland AW-109E Power and McDonnell Douglas MD-520MG Defender with the 15th Strike Wing.

Philippine defense page MaxDefense Philippines said that Turkish Aerospace Industries is trying to fast-track the deliveries of the T129B helicopters, as deliveries should have been completed by 2021 if not for the political conflict between Turkey and United States over Ankara’s decision to procure S-400 air defense missiles from Russia, which halted American approval to export helicopter engines to Turkey.

Based on the what the PAF has displayed before, the T129B ATAK attack helicopters were delivered together with the ROKETSAN Cirit 70mm guided missile, 19-round rocket launchers for 70mm unguided rockets, as well as the built-in M197 20mm 3-barrel rotary cannon.

The T129 can also be optionally armed with the ROKETSAN UMTAS anti-tank missile, and Air-to-Air Stinger short-range air-to-air missile, which the PAF has yet to acquire.




[1] MaxDefense Philippines