TAI T-129 (ATAK)

History of TAI T-129 (ATAK)

The TAI T-129 (ATAK) is a Turkish attack helicopter program designed to provide the Turkish Army with a modern battlefield actuator to complement its existing armored and mechanized forces. The aircraft is based on the successful Italian AgustaWestland AW129 "Mangusta" ("Mongoose") in service with the Italian army. Despite the obvious link to Italian attention and its AW129 design, the T-129 program is primarily a domestic Turkish program led by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), with AgustaWestland as the main contractor (Agusta StaWestland referred to the T-129 as "AW729"). Aselsan is a developer of Turkish military communications and electronic systems and a contributor to the project.

The first flight of the T-129 was recorded on September 28, 2009, and at the time of writing (2012), development and flight testing are still ongoing. Barring unforeseen delays, the helicopter is expected to enter service sometime in 2013. These engines are also produced locally under license. The final product will also be available for export, as TAI will hold the rights to the final T-129 design.

Saudi Arabia could be a future customer for the T-129, although its stockpiles of American Hughes AH-64 Apache attack systems are already in place (Apache's origins date back to the 1970s). Several other countries have expressed interest in purchasing TAI products, and as many as three prototypes have been completed to date (2012).

Unable to attract foreign interest in their new attack helicopter needs, the Turkish authorities signed an agreement with the Italian group AgustaWestland to produce an evolved form of their Agusta A129 "Mangusta International" variant, which has several One notable and helpful - introducing changes. The original A129 first flew in September 1983 and entered service with the Italian Army on the front lines by the end of the century. The design marks a milestone for European aviation as it is the first fully European attack helicopter to be completed and certified for use.

The aircraft has since proven its worth, with around 60 prototypes delivered, and the helicopter has participated in several UN-related peacekeeping missions, including operations in Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban after 9/11. Eventually, several different forms of the A129 emerged, including the A129 "International". This variant introduced a new five-blade main rotor assembly, as well as an M197 Gatling gun attached to the chin turret. LHTEC T800 series engines were installed and avionics upgraded to reflect the changing nature of the battlefield.

Also implemented support for the US missile systems Hellfire ATGM and Stinger SAM. In September 2007, the agreement between Turkey and Agusta was finalized to provide the army with a more advanced Italian product that will be developed and produced in Turkey using various locally designed systems and subsystems according to the needs of the Turkish army . For obvious reasons, the program will fall under the local name "ATAK".

Once operational, the T-129 is expected to be deployed in typical "attack helicopter" roles - anti-tank operations, armed reconnaissance/patrol, search and destroy, and close support for accompanying ground forces. Due to the nature of its combat role (low altitude and potential ground fire), the T-129 will have armor in its critical areas, low radar signature, and its inherent crashworthiness design will improve crew survivability.

Mission turnaround times and logistical requirements are designed with minimal effort to keep aircrews and aircraft armed and airworthy in wartime, even away from forward bases.

Externally, the T-129 has many sharp, clean lines from the original AgustaWestland product. The main physical feature of the T-129 will be its five-blade main rotor versus the four-blade main rotor used in the AW129 Mangusta design. The pilots sit in a tiered tandem cockpit arrangement with the main pilot in the aft cockpit and the weapons systems officer (WSO) in the front cockpit (this arrangement is now common on many attack helicopters). As a result, the front/rear profile of the fuselage is very thin, and the engine nacelles span the sides of the upper fuselage.

At the very forward end of the fuselage is the chin tower, which works with an optical tower (HMDS) mounted directly above the pilot's helmet. The rear pilot benefits from the elevated position, while the two pilots enjoy relatively unrestricted views from the light-frame cockpit. The empennage is of a low profile and houses the shaft that drives the tail rotor assembly, which is usually mounted on the vertical tail on the port side of the aircraft. Two fins are attached below this fin.

The landing gear is of a static design and consists of two single-wheel main landing gear legs along the front of the fuselage and a single-wheel tail leg under the vertical tail. Weapons are stored externally through "wing stumps" on the sides of the fuselage.

Overall, the T-129 will have many of the same qualities inherent in other dedicated attack helicopter designs in the world.

The T-129's specifications include a takeoff weight of 11,023 pounds, a fuselage length of 41 feet, an overall height of 11.2 feet, and a rotor diameter of 39 feet. Performance is enhanced by the pairing of LHTEC CT S800-4A turboshaft engines (built under local license) with FADEC capability, each producing 1,360 shaft horsepower.

This allows a maximum cruising speed of 167 miles per hour, a maximum range of 560 miles and a ferry range of 620 miles. The listed helicopter has a maximum deployment time of three hours. The engines will power a five-blade main rotor and a two-blade tail rotor.

The aircraft will be equipped with an integrated aircraft and mission management system (AMMS) and integrate a laser rangefinder, laser designator, CCTV (closed circuit television) and FLIR (forward looking infrared) into its array of onboard facilities. Any pilot will benefit from the technology inherent in its HMDS (Helmet Mounted Display System), which also offers night vision. Various parts of the aircraft will feature infrared suppression technology, and wire cutters will ensure safety when operating in low-altitude urban environments.

The helicopter will also include an ice detection system that will alert pilots to potentially lethal moisture buildup on critical systems. In the event of a forced landing, the onboard Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) will transmit the aircraft's position for subsequent rescue.

The T-129 cockpit will be equipped with an Avionics Central Control Computer (ACCC) and a 4-axis Automatic Flight Control System (AFCS). Support for VHF and UHF radios will be standard, as will HF radios and IFF (identification friend or foe) transponders. The aircraft will be linked to other participating Allied battlefield elements via an encrypted data link system capable of transmitting video, while onboard communications will utilize frequency hopping and voice encryption to counter the threat of communications interception.

The capabilities of the cockpit systems will allow the T-129 to operate as required during day/night as well as in severe weather and smoke.

The T-129 crew will have access to a fully digital, fully modern cockpit, as each position will provide 2 Multi-Function Displays (MFDs) with real-time moving maps, systems and mission software, and an inertial navigation System (INS), Global Positioning System (GPS) and Doppler Navigation Suite. Aircrews also have access to active/passive countermeasures packages designed to protect aircraft and pilots from airborne threats such as surface-to-air missiles.

The armament of the T-129 will follow widely accepted gunship standards. Primary armament will be centered on a triple-barreled 20mm Gatling cannon mounted on the hull's chin. This allows for relatively unobstructed engagement angles and works in conjunction with the crew's helmet-mounted display to provide accurate, responsive fire while harnessing armor penetration. In addition, the T-129 is expected to carry a variety of domestic and foreign anti-tank missiles (ATGMs), air-to-air missiles (ATAMs) such as Mistral, AIM-92 Stinger or AIM-9 Sidewinder, 70mm (2 75) FFAR-rockets ( guided and unguided types) and a heavy 12.7mm machine gun pod. With the exception of the chin tower, all weapons are mounted above the wings, with two brackets on each wing.

The towers are also piped to accommodate external fuel tanks with a larger working range. The 20mm chin cannon is armed with 500 rounds of ammunition.

It can be seen that the T-129 will be produced in two different forms, all production will take place at the Turkish factory, and the Turkish Army already has a long-term order for 60 aircraft. The first 30 (referred to as T-129 TUC-1 (TUC = "Turkish Configuration")) will be equipped with all-Turkish electronics, countermeasures, helmet-mounted Thales cueing systems, and support foreign air-to-air with ground link/anti-counter Tank missile type (AGM-114 Hellfire, BGM-71 TOW, etc...).

A second batch of 30 aircraft (designated T-129 TUC-2) will also be equipped with Turkish-designed electronics, but will include locally developed Aselsan-branded helmet-mounted cueing systems and support for Turkish-developed Roketsan Air ordnance - including anti-tank missiles and Roketsan Cirit laser-guided missiles.

To expedite early deliveries of the T-129, AgustaWestland will build around nine prototypes in Italy for delivery to the Turkish army sometime in 2012. These will drive the final Turkish T-129, which will arrive in time.

Specification

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Performance

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