Philippines buys six Turkish T-129 Helicopters for $270 million, Deliveries Start in September

The first two units of Turkish-made T-129 Attack Helicopters is expected to be delivered to the Philippine Air Force in September this year.

A total of six T-129 Helicopters will be acquired with a total contract price of $270 million from Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) under a government-to-government mode of procurement, an Philippine MoD release said.

“Based on latest developments, we are expecting the first two units of T-129 Attack Helicopters for the Philippine Air Force to be delivered this September,” Philippine Department of National Defense Spokesperson Dir. Arsenio Andolong said in the release.

The president of Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) announced in April that his company had won U.S. export licenses to sell a batch of six helicopter gunships to the Philippines. The U.S. is however, yet to give its nod for the sale of T-129s to Pakistan.

The remaining four units are expected to be delivered in February 2022 (two units) and February 2023 (two units), respectively.

After the approvals for the sale of the T129 ATAK helicopter to the Philippines are completed, the pilots and crews of the Philippine Air Force 15th Attack Fleet will receive T129 Attack helicopter training at the TAI facilities in Ankara.