T129 ATAK: Attack and Tactical Reconnaissance Helicopter

The T129 ATAK Helicopter was developed using Turkey-specific national capabilities to meet the Turkish Armed Forces' need for an attack helicopter.

Under a contract signed on September 7, 2007, with the Presidency of Defense Industries, TUSAŞ, as the main contractor, took responsibility for platform development, system integration, testing and validation, serial production, and lifetime logistics support.

The performance of the T129 ATAK Helicopter is optimized for challenging "hot weather-high altitude" missions, and it is effectively deployed in the Turkish Armed Forces' operations with high maneuverability and performance capabilities in both day and night conditions.

The T129 ATAK Helicopter made its first flight on August 17, 2011. After the testing and qualification processes, the first delivery was made to the Turkish Land Forces Command on April 22, 2014. As of December 2023, a total of 82 helicopters have been delivered to the Turkish Land Forces, the Ministry of the Interior’s Gendarmerie General Command, the Ministry of the Interior’s General Directorate of Security, the Philippine Air Force, and the Nigerian Air Force.

Under the ATAK Program, 76 helicopters (59 firm and 17 optional) will be delivered to the Turkish Land Forces Command, 27 helicopters (24 firm and 3 optional) to the Ministry of the Interior, and 6 helicopters each to the Philippine Air Force and the Nigerian Air Force.

The T129 ATAK Attack and Tactical Reconnaissance Helicopter is equipped with a tandem cockpit design where both pilots have maximum environmental visibility, wheeled main landing gear, a five-blade main rotor system with superior maneuverability, a two-blade new design tail rotor system, and two high-performance LHTEC CTS800-4A turboshaft engines, each producing 1,373 shp, increasing its survivability.

The T129 ATAK Helicopter’s high performance, maneuverability, asymmetric weapon load, low visibility, acoustic and radar signature, high resistance to impact, and ballistic tolerance provide it with multi-role operational capabilities in various combat scenarios.

The ASELFLIR-300T Day and Night Imaging System, located at the front of the helicopter, can rotate 360° and detect targets up to 20 km away and identify them up to 10 km away. The AVCI Helmet Integrated Command System, specially developed for the T129 ATAK Helicopter, ensures automatic targeting of weapons and systems based on the pilot’s line of sight with high tracking accuracy.

For close air support missions, the T129 ATAK is equipped with 76 unguided rockets and a 20mm cannon with a 500-round capacity. It is also suitable for multi-role missions with 8 UMTAS Anti-Tank Missiles, 16 CIRIT Laser Guided Missiles, and 8 STINGER Air-to-Air Missiles, along with modern electronic warfare and electro-optic systems.

T129 ATAK Helicopter

Features

• Superior Operational Capability: With high performance, maneuverability, asymmetric weapon load, low visibility, low acoustic and radar signatures, high resistance to impact, and ballistic tolerance, the T129 ATAK Helicopter offers multi-role superior operational capability in various combat scenarios. It is optimized for "hot weather and high altitude" performance requirements and provides flexible and adaptable weapon configurations in both day and night operations.
• Modern Electronic Warfare Systems: The T129 ATAK is equipped with a Missile Warning System, Countermeasure Dispensing System, and IR (Infrared) Countermeasure System, along with Radar Warning Receiver, Radar Frequency Jamming System, and Laser Warning Receiver, ensuring superior survivability on the battlefield.
• Flexible & Adaptable Weapon Configuration: With integrated precision targeting and night vision systems, the T129 ATAK Helicopter can perform precise assaults, armed reconnaissance, escort, close air support, deep strikes, and asymmetric warfare missions under both day and night conditions. The helicopter can be configured with 500 rounds of 20mm cannon ammunition and, depending on the mission, can carry 76 unguided rockets, 8 UMTAS/LUMTAS Anti-Tank Missiles, 16 CIRIT Laser Guided Missiles, and 8 STINGER Air-to-Air Missiles.
• AVCI Helmet Integrated Command System: The AVCI Helmet Integrated Targeting and Command System, specially developed for the T129 ATAK, provides high situational awareness by presenting night vision, flight, weapon, and electronic warfare parameters to the pilot’s view. The system links with the weapon system to enable precise targeting with guided and unguided munitions based on the pilot’s line of sight.
• Length: 14.54 m (47.70 ft)
• Main Rotor Diameter: 11.90 m (39.00 ft)
• Height: 3.95 m (13.00 ft)
• Crew: 2
• Width: 3.49 m (11.45 ft)
• Maximum Takeoff Weight: 5065 kg (11,166 lb)
• Maximum Cruise Speed: 281 km/h (152 kts)
• Endurance: 3 hours
• HOGE Ceiling: 4,221 m (13,850 ft)
• Vertical Climb: 7.3 m/s (1,430 ft/min)
• Range: 537 km (290 nm)
• HIGE Ceiling: 4,572 m (15,000 ft)
• Climb Rate: 13.26 m/s (2,610 ft/min)
• Mission Ceiling: 4,572 m (15,000 ft)

Weapons

• 76 x 70mm Classic Rockets
• 20mm Cannon (500 rounds)
• 8 x UMTAS Anti-Tank Missiles
• 16 x 70mm CIRIT Guided ATGMs
• 8 x STINGER Air-to-Air Missiles