Turkey is preparing to select a new utility helicopter model, which it plans to produce and use for both military and civilian purposes over the next 20 years.

Turkey's procurement office is presently holding talks with a U.S. company and a European consortium. One of them will lead the work with local partners to jointly produce hundreds of utility platforms worth billions of dollars.

The two firms are the U.S. Sikorsky Aircraft and the Italian-British AgustaWestland. Sikorsky is competing with its S-70 Black Hawk International and AgustaWestland is offering a platform currently being developed for the Turkish contract.

The two companies presented their best offers in September, and Turkey's Defense Industry Executive Committee is expected to choose a winner before the year-end, senior procurement officials told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review.

The members of the Defense Industry Executive Committee, Turkey's top decision-making body on procurement matters, include Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoan, Chief of General Staff Gen. lker Babu, Defense Minister Vecdi Gönül and Chief Procurement Officer Murad Bayar.

The first batch of utility helicopters to be jointly produced will comprise 109 platforms, worth more than $1 billion.

Some 40 of those platforms will go for civilian purposes, and the rest will be military helicopters for the Army, the Navy, the Air Force and the Gendarmerie.

20 helicopters a year

"After the first batch of 109 helicopters, we expect to order nearly 20 helicopters a year from this assembly line for many years," one procurement official said.

"So the model we choose will be Turkey's standard utility helicopter model for the next 20 years," said the official. Turkey also plans to export this jointly manufactured utility platform.

Presently, the Turkish military is operating several different types of helicopters. The military has more than 100 S-70s, more than 100 older U.S.-made UH-1 Hueys and 19 French-designed AS-532 Cougars.

Separately, the procurement office is holding government-to-government talks with the United States for the purchase of 11 CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopters, made by Boeing. In the long run, Turkey wants to design, develop and manufacture its own light utility helicopter.

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=turkey-to-select-soon-next-generation-helicopter-2009-10-26

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On 12 June 1992, a Greek Mirage F-1C crashed during a dogfight with a Turkish F-16 piloted by Capt. Ilhan Filiz.

On 8 October 1996, a Greek Mirage-2000 piloted by Thanos Grivas shot down a Turkish F-16D with a Magic IR missile.

Just two days after that murder, on 10 October 1996 a Greek Mirage-2000 crashed close to Semadirek island after a dogfight with two Turkish F-16s.

Point of the story is: TUAF saved itself two missiles.

My favourite

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On 12 June 1992, a Greek Mirage F-1C crashed during a dogfight with a Turkish F-16 piloted by Capt. Ilhan Filiz.

On 8 October 1996, a Greek Mirage-2000 piloted by Thanos Grivas shot down a Turkish F-16D with a Magic IR missile.

Just two days after that murder, on 10 October 1996 a Greek Mirage-2000 crashed close to Semadirek island after a dogfight with two Turkish F-16s.

Point of the story is: TUAF saved itself two missiles.

No Turkish emblem?



When I was young I used to pray for a bike, then I realized that God doesn't work that way, so I stole a bike and prayed for forgiveness.

What are you insinuating kurnt?

It's underneath the Choppa

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On 12 June 1992, a Greek Mirage F-1C crashed during a dogfight with a Turkish F-16 piloted by Capt. Ilhan Filiz.

On 8 October 1996, a Greek Mirage-2000 piloted by Thanos Grivas shot down a Turkish F-16D with a Magic IR missile.

Just two days after that murder, on 10 October 1996 a Greek Mirage-2000 crashed close to Semadirek island after a dogfight with two Turkish F-16s.

Point of the story is: TUAF saved itself two missiles.

On this pic I can see the Turkish flag and TUAF emblem




When I was young I used to pray for a bike, then I realized that God doesn't work that way, so I stole a bike and prayed for forgiveness.

Some don't, forinstance this Special Forces Black Hawk

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On 12 June 1992, a Greek Mirage F-1C crashed during a dogfight with a Turkish F-16 piloted by Capt. Ilhan Filiz.

On 8 October 1996, a Greek Mirage-2000 piloted by Thanos Grivas shot down a Turkish F-16D with a Magic IR missile.

Just two days after that murder, on 10 October 1996 a Greek Mirage-2000 crashed close to Semadirek island after a dogfight with two Turkish F-16s.

Point of the story is: TUAF saved itself two missiles.

Awesome pictures Combat_Master, thanks a lot

Turkish requirements for this TUHP tender;

Turkish TAI will be the Main Contractor of UH Program and negotiations with AW and Sikorsky -as subcontractor - are based on:


- gain development, modification, system integration and test capabilities on the Helicopter

- designate Turkish industry as sole/secondary/qualified source for the determined components on the Helicopter

- set up final assembly line in Turkey

- increase the local industry capability

- have product partnership on risk share basis

- For world market agree on sales/logistics territories on the world.



My Favorite is Tuhp-149. Agusta offered Turkey %50-50 partnership with all sourcecodes and co-export rights... According to Agusta, Turkey is going to design-develop and manufacture its own helicopters in own institues with selling rights...

"Presently, the Turkish military is operating several different types of helicopters. The military has more than 100 S-70s, more than 100 older U.S.-made UH-1 Hueys and 19 French-designed AS-532 Cougars. "

Small detail but between all the branches the Turkish military operates about 50 AS 532 Cougars, although given the choice they would happily trade those in for more UH-60's. The Cougars are not very popular due to their limited high altitude performance, hence they are seldom used in the East.

Its going to be very hard for Agusta Westland to break the bond and trust that Sikorsky has established in Turkey with the venerable UH-60, they've formed the backbone of our army for close to two decades and have been used extensively and proven themsleves in combat, I am putting my money on the Blackhawk!

I Hail The Flag