The ATAK project was started to meet the Turkish Armed Forces' prerequisites for an assault and strategic observation helicopter. The T129 is the consequence of the joining of Turkish grew cutting edge aeronautics, air-outline adjustments, and weapon frameworks onto the battle demonstrated AgustaWestland A129 airframe, with updated motors, transmission and rotor sharp edges. It is being used by the Turkish Army, and is being offered to other services.The ATAK system was started to meet the Turkish Armed Forces' necessities for an assault and strategic surveillance helicopter.Turkey reported on 30 March 2007 that it had chosen to arrange with AgustaWestland to co-create and deliver 51 (with 40 alternatives) assault helicopters taking into account the Agusta A129 Mangusta.[ It is to be collected in Turkey by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) as the T129. On 7 September 2007, a $1.2 billion contract was signed.
On 22 June 2008, the understanding between TUSAS Aerospace Industries (TAI) and AgustaWestland formally went into power. Under the understanding, TAI will build up an indigenous mission PC, flying, weapons frameworks, self-assurance suites and the head protector mounting signaling frameworks. Tusaş Engine Industries (TEI) will fabricate the LHTEC CTS800-4N motors under licence.Under the understanding, Turkey has full showcasing and protected innovation rights for the T129 stage; Turkey can send out likewise the stage to outsider countries, barring Italy and the United Kingdom.[14] However, the T129's LHTEC CTS800-4N gives the United States a veto over any forthcoming fare sales.
The T129 was upgraded for hot and high conditions. It has a few key enhancements over the first A129 inline with the necessities of the Turkish Army.The T129 will convey 12 Roketsan-created UMTAS against tank rockets (Turkish indigenous improvement like Hellfire II). The T129 highlights a 20 mm gatling-style gun in a nose turret. It can convey a blend of 70 mm rocket cases, Stinger air-air rocket cases, and weapon units on its stub wing pylons.[19] On 16 July 2007, the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK), Meteksan Savunma Sanayii Aş and Bilkent University framed a consortium to build up a propelled millimeter wave radar (MILDAR), like the Longbow and the IAI/ELTA radars, proposed to enter administration in 2009. MILDAR was effectively finished in February 2012.
In 2007, it was accounted for that one helicopter will be kept by the Turkish Ministry of Defense and utilized as a proving ground for frameworks advancement. The rest of the 50 helicopters will be conveyed to the Turkish Army. A discretionary 40 further T129 helicopters will be created if necessary.These 50 T129s are to be assigned T129B.In November 2010, Turkey requested an extra nine T129 helicopters to build its aggregate requested to 60. These T129s were for an earnest Turkish Army operational prerequisite and was worked by TAI for conveyance in 2012, one year preceding the conveyance of the already requested 51 helicopters. These T129s are assigned T129A, lacking propelled hostile to tank rockets. As a consequence of postponements, the T129As entered administration in 2014On 28 September 2009, the T129's lady flight occurred when P1 model flew at AgustaWestland's offices in Vergiate, Italy.
On 19 March 2010, the main T129 model (P1) led high height drift tests close Verbania, Italy taking after the finish of a few effective experimental runs. Amid the float test, T129 P1 lost its tail rotor at 15,000 feet. Test pilot Cassioli recaptured enough control to guide far from neighborhood before smashing; the group got away without genuine injuries.On 17 August 2011, TIA declared the primary fruitful flight of the T129 model "P6", the first of three models to be collected in Turkey.
In 2013, media reports guaranteed that the main group of helicopters conveyed to Turkish Army for trials did not meet the prerequisites of the agreement, particularly as far as "vibration, parity, weight". The T129 was nose-overwhelming; to determine this, 137 kg was added to the tail, bringing about the aggregate weight to surpass the predefined necessity. The higher weight may diminish the T129's administration roof, which is unfavorable for working under hot and high conditions, similar to those found in Southeastern Anatolia. The Undersecretariat for Defense Industries will alter the agreement in understanding. Specialists expect weight diminishments as improvement continues.In August 2015, TAI formally conveyed the cluster of the initial nine T129 ATAK helicopters to the Turkish Land Forces in the wake of finishing capability testing.
