Turkey will start testing the engine it is buying from Ukraine to power its T929 ATAK-II twin-engine heavy attack helicopter this year.

In a New Year’s greeting for employees working at Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), General Manager Temel Kotil revealed the progress of various projects undertaken by the company. He announced that the 11-ton helicopter will start its engine and rotate its propellers in 2022. The helicopter will be equipped with 2500 hp turboshaft engines and will make its flight in 2023.

Kotil had previously announced that the engines for the ATAK-II would come from Ukraine. A contract for 14 TV3-117 engines has already been signed with Motor Sich.

ATAK-II will carry 1,500 kg of ammunition. It will have nearly twice the take-off weight than the current ATAK rotorcraft. The helicopter can be tasked with air-to-ground combat, air-to-air combat, armed reconnaissance surveillance and close air support (CAS) operations. It will incorporate some sub-systems and components developed under T129 and the T625 Gökbey helicopter projects.

The T929 helicopter features tandem seats, asymmetrical weapons bay, high ammunition capacity, low infrared (IR) signature, digital cockpit, ballistic protection, improved avionics, electronic warfare and countermeasure capability.

The helicopter will be fitted with a nose-mounted forward-looking infrared (FLIR) turret that includes target-tracking functionality. The helicopter will also feature electronic warfare systems such as infrared/ultraviolet missile-warning sensors and a tail-mounted directed-infrared countermeasure (DIRCM) system to jam heat-seeking missiles.