TR Attack & Utility Helicopter Programs

[boredaf]

For a country the size of ours we need at least 300 T-70 sized helicopters,we only have around 120 isch(dont know exactly).
The Bell's are obsolete.
At least 50 more Chinook sized Helicopters,we only 11 Chinooks and 10 or so Mil 17's(old).

I am really curious why aren't we trying to get into more partnerships with Agusta Westland like T129 while we wait for our own platforms to mature and get ready for production. Hell, they even have a tilt rotor we can possibly use on Anadolu and Trakya if we could get it.

 

[TR_123456]

I am really curious why aren't we trying to get into more partnerships with Agusta Westland like T129 while we wait for our own platforms to mature and get ready for production. Hell, they even have a tilt rotor we can possibly use on Anadolu and Trakya if we could get it.

What partnership would you suggest?
Which of our future projects would need a tilt rotor and did you think of the operational costs of a tilt rotor?

 

[boredaf]

What partnership would you suggest?
Which of our future projects would need a tilt rotor and did you think of the operational costs of a tilt rotor?

Tilt rotor was just something I like, that's not main reason I said partnership. Aw101 (Merlin) or AW189 could help us with our short term needs, if a deal could be reached of course.

 

[Huelague]

Or an

Tilt rotor was just something I like, that's not main reason I said partnership. Aw101 (Merlin) or AW189 could help us with our short term needs, if a deal could be reached of course.

Or a S-97 Raider like helicopter.

 

[TR_123456]

Tilt rotor was just something I like, that's not main reason I said partnership. Aw101 (Merlin) or AW189 could help us with our short term needs, if a deal could be reached of course.

We would have to buy them,finished products.

 

[boredaf]

We would have to buy them,finished products.

That could work as well, as you pointed out we need to renew our helicopters, but we could also try to get license to build it like we did with T129. Even if US made helicopters are the best, but out of our reach and ours are some time away (especially with our own engines) it might be better to think about alternatives like these instead of twiddling our thumbs until we are ready.

 

[Sanchez]

I am really curious why aren't we trying to get into more partnerships with Agusta Westland like T129 while we wait for our own platforms to mature and get ready for production. Hell, they even have a tilt rotor we can possibly use on Anadolu and Trakya if we could get it.

While it's not talked about much, I think guys at TAI and SSB over the years grown out of their relationship with the Italians, call it growing apart from each other after 15 years of marriage. And army guys are the most conservative people I know. We have no direct need for any tiltrotor or compound(Raider) design, we operate in a far smaller region where greater range and high speed are not absolute priorities like it is for US. They bring a lot to the table yes, but there are many, many disadvantages brought forward with these capability increases.

I do wish after a decade that we had chosen T149 over T70 in the TUHP tender, Gökbey would arrive 5 years earlier then. That and what followed are the results of conservative thinking in the army.

Navy and the army still do need heavy lift helicopters. I do think we might see a buy of AW101s in the future. When money is available and no local equivalent exists army do buy from abroad like the AW119 sale. Tiny sale of 13+15 helicopters, going beautifully without any issues. Deliveries should be complete by next year.

 

[TR_123456]

That could work as well, as you pointed out we need to renew our helicopters, but we could also try to get license to build it like we did with T129. Even if US made helicopters are the best, but out of our reach and ours are some time away (especially with our own engines) it might be better to think about alternatives like these instead of twiddling our thumbs until we are ready.

If Meloni stays it could be an option,if not forget it.

 

[TR_123456]

And army guys are the most conservative people I know.

I had some conversations with some of the old gard,you are right the have weird conservative ideas and not just for the Armed Forces.

 

[Yasar_TR]

At the current state of affairs, the T70 contract has to be extended. We have too heavily invested in both on the engine side and the helicopter structure and avionic side, to jump ship to go for something else.

On the utility and heavy attack helicopter side, if we can get the licensed engine production contract going for the T700 engine’s CT7-8A7 version that develops 3000HP shaft power, then our problems are solved.

As I had already mentioned here before, once we extend the licence agreement we have with GE for the T-700 engine, we can ask their permission to change the engine version, as allowed by the licence agreement, and produce a 3000HP engine, that we can use in heavy attack helicopter and the general utility one; just like what we are doing with Gokbey and Honeywell 800 we use for the Atak . So TEI can carry on to produce a T-700 engine with 2000HP for the Blackhawks and at the same time they can produce an improved 3000HP version of the same engine.

A101 uses a RR engine that is actually produced mainly by French Safran , namely RTM322 Turbomecha.