The Philippine Air Force has significantly increased its strike capabilities. Yesterday, January 10, the portal inquirer.net He reported that the Turkish company TAI supplied the first pair of T129B helicopters to the Philippine army.
In 2018, Turkish T129 ATAK helicopters won the tender of the Philippine Air Force, and two years later a contract was signed for the supply of 6 units in the T129B modification. The contract worth 13.8 billion Philippine pesos ($286.6 million) includes the supply of six helicopters, along with related equipment, spare parts, support and training. Pilots and technicians of the Philippine Air Force have already been trained in Turkey. Deliveries of the second and third pair of helicopters are scheduled for 2023 and 2024.
Philippine Air Force T129B Helicopter
Image source: inquirer.net
The T129 attack helicopters are a licensed copy of the Italian AW129 Mangusta, developed in the 80s. The first flight of the A129 Mangusta took place in September 1983. A total of 60 helicopters were produced for the Italian army. Turkey has also announced plans to assemble 60 helicopters. The T-129 is equipped with two LHTEC CTS800-4A engines, which gives it the ability to reach speeds of up to 270 km/h with a combat radius of 561 km. The ceiling is 6 km. The helicopter is armed with a stationary 20-mm three-barrel automatic cannon, as well as suspended installations for various types of missiles.
Another foreign customer of T129V ATTACK helicopters is Pakistan. However, due to strained relations with the United States, Turkey has not been able to obtain an export license for American engines for several years, without which it is impossible to supply cars. The Philippines managed to circumvent the ban due to the low cost of the contract, which allowed the transaction to be carried out without the approval of the US Congress.
