Turkey receives first attack helicopter
ISTANBUL
The Turkish Army has received the first T-129 attack helicopter co-produced by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) and Italian-British AgustaWestland after several months of technical snags, Defense News reported.A batch of early delivery T-129 attack helicopters, dubbed the T-129A EDH, which Turkey has acquired from AgustaWestland, have been repeatedly failing acceptance tests since 2012 due to a mismatch with technical specifications stated in the contract.
Industry sources say the calibration failures center on lower-than-required maximum speed, excess vibration during flight, maximum takeoff weight and poor firing performance.
The six T-129A EDHs are part of a batch of nine choppers that Turkey ordered in November 2010, increasing its total order to 60.
The T-129s were largely built by AgustaWestland in Italy with an expected delivery in late 2012, one year before the Turkish-built helicopters would start being delivered. The first nine choppers are to be armed by Turkey.
