Turkey Completes Predesign of Indigenous Helo

Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), has completed critical predesign work for what will become the country’s first indigenous utility helicopter, a 5-ton, twin-engine, light helicopter that will start flight tests in five years.
The helicopter will be in the Turkish inventory by 2023.
The Turkish government last year signed a contract with TAI for the design, development and manufacturing of the helicopter. A TAI official said the helicopter is intended to replace Turkey’s aging UH-1s, but it also could be used to meet helicopter training needs of the Army.
Turkey could eventually buy more than 800 helicopters and with exports final sales numbers could reach about 1,200.
TAI also is the prime local contractor of a $3.5 billion program under which Sikorsky will co-produce 109 utility helicopters for the Turkish military. Turkey intends to use know-how and technology transfers from the Sikorsky-led program in its indigenous helicopter effort.
Turkey in 2011 selected Sikorsky Aircraft as its partner company to lead production of the country’s next-generation utility helicopters.
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