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Turkey Turkish Aerospace Industries
T129 ATAK
A Turkish-built derivative of the AgustaWestland A129 Mangusta, developed jointly by Turkish Aerospace Industries and Leonardo with uprated engines for hot-and-high performance. It is the Turkish Armed Forces' primary attack helicopter and has been exported to Pakistan and the Philippines.
In service since 2014 · 3 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-01
281
km/h
561
km range
5,915
m ceiling
1,200
kg payload
Pricing: Unit cost not consistently publicly disclosed
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
Türkiye export-licensed
SSB-administered; growing export programme, some Western sub-component dependencies.
Channel: Direct commercial / G2G
Fielded & proven
Limited · 3 operators
In service since 2014. Status: active · ~60 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
No public unit price to model from.
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Max speed
Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.
- 281 km/h Stronger than 25% of helicopters
- Cruise speed
Sustained economical speed. Determines transit time to station.
- 259 km/h Stronger than 45% of helicopters
- Range
Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.
- 561 km Stronger than 38% of helicopters
- Service ceiling
Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.
- 5,915 m Stronger than 60% of helicopters
- Rate of climb
How fast the aircraft gains altitude. Higher means better energy recovery in combat.
- 11 m/s Stronger than 48% of helicopters
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Main armament
Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.
- 20 mm TM-197B three-barrel cannon
- Hardpoints
External stations for weapons and pods. More means bigger and more flexible loadouts.
- 4 Stronger than 41% of helicopters
- Weapons payload
Maximum ordnance weight the platform can carry. Higher means more strike capacity per sortie.
- 1,200 kg Stronger than 40% of helicopters
Protection
Armor, countermeasures and survivability.
- Armor
Armor technology: composite, modular, ERA-fitted, uranium-ceramic. Exact compositions are classified.
- Armored crew compartment against small-arms fire and fragments
- Countermeasures
Self-protection: chaff, flares, DIRCM, towed decoys, smoke dischargers, jammers.
- radar/laser/missile warning receivers, chaff, flares
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 14.6 m
- Height
Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles.
- 3.35 m
- Empty weight
Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.
- 2,530 kg
- Combat weight
Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.
- 5,000 kg
- Crew
Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.
- 2
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
- Engine
Powerplant model and type.
- 2x LHTEC T800-4A (CTS800) turboshaft, 1361 hp each
- Engines
Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost.
- 2
- Engine power
Engine output power. Higher moves more weight faster.
- 1,361 hp Stronger than 34% of helicopters
- Propulsion type
Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…
- Turboshaft
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
- Sensors
IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights.
- ASELFLIR-300T electro-optical/infrared targeting system, helmet-mounted display
- Thermal imaging
Thermal sights for night and obscured-visibility operations.
- Yes
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Units built
Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.
- 60 Stronger than 25% of helicopters
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 3 Stronger than 48% of helicopters
Specifications compiled from public Turkish Aerospace Industries and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-01.
Compare with rivals
See how it stacks up
Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian Frequently asked questions
What is the top speed of the Turkish Aerospace Industries T129 ATAK? +
The Turkish Aerospace Industries T129 ATAK has a maximum speed of 281 km/h.
What is the range of the Turkish Aerospace Industries T129 ATAK? +
The Turkish Aerospace Industries T129 ATAK has a maximum range of 561 km.
What is the weapons payload of the Turkish Aerospace Industries T129 ATAK? +
The Turkish Aerospace Industries T129 ATAK can carry up to 1,200 kg of weapons payload.
How much does the Turkish Aerospace Industries T129 ATAK weigh? +
The Turkish Aerospace Industries T129 ATAK has a combat weight of 5,000 kg.
How many crew does the Turkish Aerospace Industries T129 ATAK require? +
The Turkish Aerospace Industries T129 ATAK requires a crew of 2.
What is the main armament of the Turkish Aerospace Industries T129 ATAK? +
The Turkish Aerospace Industries T129 ATAK's primary weapon is the 20 mm TM-197B three-barrel cannon.
What engine does the Turkish Aerospace Industries T129 ATAK use? +
The Turkish Aerospace Industries T129 ATAK is powered by the 2x LHTEC T800-4A (CTS800) turboshaft, 1361 hp each.
What is the Turkish Aerospace Industries T129 ATAK used for? +
The Turkish Aerospace Industries T129 ATAK is a helicopter typically used for close air support, anti armor.
How many countries operate the Turkish Aerospace Industries T129 ATAK? +
The Turkish Aerospace Industries T129 ATAK is operated by 3 countries.
How much does the Turkish Aerospace Industries T129 ATAK cost? +
Turkish Aerospace Industries T129 ATAK: Unit cost not consistently publicly disclosed. Defense program costs are rarely fully public and vary by contract and configuration.
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