By Kaan Azman
TAI Helicopter Department VP Mehmet Demiroğlu during an interview with Defence Turk stated that both options of integration of TS1400 turboshaft engines to T129 ATAK helicopters and a new design based on T625 GOKBEY’s dynamic components (engine, transmission etc.) as known as T629 is being considered as options for the future of lightweight attack helicopters.
“This is a possibility that we had worked on before. Another possibility is taking the dynamic components like rotor, transmission and engines and integrating them into our own design. Work on a new ATAK helicopter design is ongoing. Feasibility studies regarding which option makes more sense and will be available for longer terms is nearly done. We might come with a new “ATAK 1.5″ as well. Know that if we are to make T629, we are making it with TS1400 engines, otherwise it wouldn’t be very feasible.”
With TS1400 engines mentioned Demiroğlu also stated that delieveries of T625 GOKBEY helicopters fitted with indigenous TS1400 turboshaft engines are set for 2026:
“As it hasn’t been done before here, a lot of things are progressing a little slowly which applies for the work on engine as well. I hope that we will have completed or neared completion on all the work on these engines (TS1400) by the end of 2025. Our prediction is that GOKBEYs with certified indigenous engines will begin to be delievered in 2026, our friends at TEI might shorten this time.”
