Reflections on our Attack and Utility Helicopter Production Strategy

Attack helicopters were of great importance for our country, which has spent the last forty years fighting against terrorism. Since our old ally, the United States, was quite stingy with the AH-1W Cobra helicopters we desired, this need even turned into an obsession for the Turkish army over time. We finally got the T-129 Atak helicopter, developed in collaboration with the Italian Agusta company (now Leonardo) on the A-129 Mangusta model. This was a very proud move.

While customizing this helicopter in line with our own needs, we prioritized its ability to operate in high altitude and temperature conditions, as we had noticed the lack of this capability in many different models of helicopters and the performance loss it caused. Of course, it was no coincidence that Pakistan, which requires similar high-altitude conditions, also chose the Atak helicopter. However, we were unable to export this helicopter, which uses American engines, to Pakistan due to export bans imposed by the U.S. However, we did succeed in exporting the helicopter to the Philippines, which is politically in line with American interests, albeit with limited success.

When these processes were combined with the capabilities we had acquired in helicopter production and design, two results emerged. The first of these was the start of our efforts to develop an indigenous engine. The TEI-TS1400 turboshaft engine was a project started as an extension of this idea. The other was to enrich the path we started with the Atak helicopter with new models and derivatives.

When we look at the helicopter road map of TAI (Turkish Aerospace), we see the following. The experience gained from the T-129 Atak helicopter, which can be defined as approximately 5 tons, has led to new searches. There was a need for something more than the Skorsky S-70 Black Hawk helicopter we have been using for a very long time. For this reason, the T-70 program, which we will produce under license with maximum domestic contribution and as an indigenous/customized model, was also put into operation. However, the search for a lighter helicopter than the T-70 was also ongoing. In fact, it can be said that there was a need for an even higher number of platforms than the T-70. The T-625 Gökbey was born to meet this need. We have started the T-625 Gökbey Utility helicopter in the 6-ton class, which can also use our indigenous engines.

When you develop a 6-ton class utility helicopter like the Gökbey, it is only natural to develop a purebred attack helicopter using the same engine, rotor and infrastructure. This helicopter will, of course, be able to carry slightly more ammunition. However, the difference between the payloads of two helicopters in the 5- and 6-ton class is negligible. Therefore, we can characterize this development more as a desire to overcome the market for the export of the Atak helicopter with a solution that includes indigenous and national engines and whose IP rights are fully owned by us. The project in question is codenamed T-629 and has not yet been announced.

On the other hand, the deep rift and mistrust that our government is experiencing with the United States has created an atmosphere of doubt about the future of our ongoing projects such as the T-70, as well as all other American-made helicopters already in service. The credibility of these projects and all the other things promised under them, including offsets, is questionable. In fact, the attitude and approach of the country in question is of key importance in terms of keeping our existing helicopters in service, maintaining, sustaining and modernizing them. For this reason, 10-ton class indigenous and national helicopter projects have been designed with a similar approach. T-925 General Purpose and T-929 Atak 2 attack helicopters. With the use of the same engine, rotor, subsystem and electronic infrastructure, of course, in a way to provide maximum logistical convenience.

Yes, if we go with the classical military industrial approach, it makes sense to produce a common infrastructure for a utility helicopter and a purebred attack helicopter, with customized airframe designs, using common parts, infrastructure and software as much as possible. But will this orthodox approach still be valid on the battlefield of the future? Let us even expand our question a little further. Will attack helicopters be the survivable, high-functioning, prioritized and demanded military platforms on the battlefield of the future?

It is when we start asking this question that we realize that our attitude towards attack helicopters is really reaching a level of obsession. This is true not only in military, institutional and defense industry circles, but also among the general public. Even today, the TAF prefers to use UCAVs rather than attack helicopters to put pressure on areas where it believes enemy elements are present. This is because such helicopter platforms, which require high costs to procure, maintain and train personnel, can only be risked when they are really important and necessary.

In addition, the new generation rotary wing designs, which are planned to replace today's helicopters, are radically different. Indeed, the fact that states with the technology and money are moving in this direction is an advantage for the commercial future of our conventional products. However, in an age where not only requirements but also existing definitions and boundaries are blurring, it is important to approach the issue from a broader perspective and without prejudice. Therefore, I would like to bring the following comments and suggestions to your attention.

Gökbey is an extremely beautiful, efficient and developmentally appropriate design. It also has many useful features, including a rear load door. Therefore, without radically changing the airframe structure, there should be a derivative that will incorporate various attack helicopter elements, just like South Korea and India, where we have similar needs. The Surion helicopter, a miniaturized version of the Eurocopter Puma / Cougar / Cracal family, is a slightly meatier version of the Gökbey. While shaping the attack version of the Surion, South Korea preferred not to change the airframe.

I would like to emphasize one thing here: I certainly do not mean to suggest that we should abandon a project like the T-629, which we have already started and which is going well. We should complete our work on this 6-ton attack helicopter. We should also market the resulting product abroad. However, not every country has the financial capability to keep a pure-bred attack helicopter in its inventory. For these markets, we should definitely adapt some of the capabilities we have acquired in the T-129 and T-629 projects to the T-625 helicopter.

As you know, sometimes appropriate platforms and weapons are developed by the defense industry in line with the requirements of the soldiers. Other times, soldiers create very effective concepts of use within the framework of a developed weapon. In this latter context, Baykar's TB2 is a very striking example. A similar situation exists for helicopters. For example, if the Atak helicopters we provide to our security forces are used with nose cannons and unguided rockets, a Gökbey derivative that can carry personnel as well as nose cannons and unguided rockets will be preferred.

It is a necessity for our age that many different platforms conduct joint operations with a network-centric warfare structure. This network-centric structure must also be flexible to meet future needs. In this context, I would like to illustrate my point with an example. As we saw in Ukraine, taking measures against enemy artillery is a very important issue. In this context, let's consider a scenario where you will use helicopters. When attack helicopters are used against enemy artillery, they have to get close enough to bring it under fire. This exposes them to the direct threat of enemy air defense systems and MANPADS.

Let's plan a lot of UAV attacks against enemy artillery. If we do this with the Atak helicopter, we will have to fill the payloads that will carry ammunition with swarms of UAVs. We design a portable solution that will open its wings after the first shot, that is, after the propulsion energy. Since this solution would also need to carry a meaningful warhead, an Atak helicopter can accommodate between 6-8 drones. Let's adapt this scenario to the Gökbey helicopter.

Let's imagine a Gökbey flying at a safer distance from the front line. It opens the rear cargo door and dangles a string with a weight on the end. An automated system installed in the cabin, like a parachutist, dangles all the unmanned vehicles down the string one by one. Each drone that reaches its aerodynamic equilibrium disconnects from the string and starts its flight. If we design this type of system, we can dispatch 3-4 times more drones than Atak with a single Gökbey. When the swarm drone attack is over, if the intelligence information we receive during this attack opens a window for a more effective second attack, we can dispatch Atak helicopters, which are waiting behind the frontline without taking any risks, to the enemy with a planning that will ensure the highest impact.

To put it bluntly, the line between general purpose and attack helicopters is blurring in the future. The platform that will benefit from this process will be the general purpose helicopters, which are designed for a much broader purpose rather than a narrow one. In other words, if the Gökbey helicopter can be equipped to cover some of the missions of the Atak, and even operate as a team, it will be extremely attractive for export markets.

As you know, the Bayraktar TB2 platform developed by Baykar has also opened up a considerable market for Roketsan MAM-L and MAM-C munitions. The military industry has countless similar examples. In the future, however, it is imperative that a platform not only opens markets for the weapons it uses, but also opens markets for other platforms. In fact, this is also a necessity of the network-centric warfare structure.

For this reason, the T-625 Gökbey should open a market for the T-629 purebred attack helicopter, and vice versa, the T-129/629 helicopters should open a market for the Gökbey. The key to this is to think more broadly and creatively. Creative and exemplary ConOps planning will lay the foundation for a different ConOps that will be demanded by the customer as a necessity of warfare and necessity. In this case, countries like Turkey, which have a dynamic and developing defense industry, will be ahead of developed countries with their ability to produce solutions in line with customer requirements. These requirements can be manifested in a wide range of nature, which may include various upgrades as well as downgrades.