Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) is working to place its T129 ATAK as front-runner in the nascent contest to supply new attack helicopters to Poland, against competition from Airbus Helicopters, Bell Helicopter and Boeing.
Warsaw is in the early stages of selecting a replacement for the Mil Mi-24s operated by the nation’s land forces under its Project Kruk initiative, but has yet to launch a formal tender.
TAI performed demonstration flights of the T129 ATAK at Radom and Warsaw in late August, and has followed this up with the signing of a number of memoranda of understanding with Polish companies in order to bring local content to the T129 should it eventually be selected.
Unveiled at the MSPO defence show in Kielce on 2 September, the MoUs detail collaboration with local partners including air force research organisation ITWL, ground power unit supplier WCBKT, maintenance supplier WZL-1 and munitions manufacturer ZM Mesko.
Bartosz Glowacki
"We are looking for co-operation possibilities with Polish defence sector companies,” says Görkem Bilgi, manager of TAI’s helicopter group. "Our approach is not only selling the helicopters, but we are planning to provide long-term industrial partnership.”
Until Warsaw issues a request for proposals, TAI cannot be more specific on the ultimate degree of local participation, he says.
However, if the T129 wins any eventual contest, then, for example, Mesko – which already produces Spike guided missiles for Israel’s Rafael – would become a provider of Roketsan Cirit rockets.
Bilgi also does not rule out the creation of a Polish final assembly line for the type, which could serve as a regional production hub.
"We can develop some solutions for Polish land forces required by them in a very short period of time in cooperation with Polish industry. Maybe we can jointly develop a Polish configuration [of the T129] and export it to the Czech Republic, Hungary, [or] Slovakia,” says Bilgi.
MSPO has also seen WZL-1 and Roketsan sign a MoU covering future co-operation. Initially this will focus on the integration of the former’s Cirit rocket and UTMAS guided anti-tank missile onto Mil helicopters, for both the Polish market and for other European countries using Russian types.
Source: Flight Daily News
