TAI And AgustaWestland Group On South Korean Copter Shortlist

South Korea has shortlisted a Turkish-Italian defense group consisting of Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) and AgustaWestland, together with two U.S. companies, as the potential makers of up to 50 attack helicopters for the nation’s military, a South Korean official said over the weekend.

TAI-AgustaWestland has been building 59 T-129 helicopters for Turkey’s military, and deliveries will start toward the end of the year. TAI-Agusta Westland has been shortlisted together with the U.S. companies Boeing, maker of AH-64D Apache gunships for the U.S. Army, and Bell Helicopter Textron, maker of the Cobra family of helicopters for the U.S. Marine Corps, in the South Korean contest worth billions of dollars, the Korean official said.

“It is a major success for TAI and AgustaWestland to be shortlisted even before their product entered service in the Turkish military,” the official said.

TAI-Agusta Westland is due to deliver nine T-129s to the Turkish Army before the end of this year. The T-129 is a Turkish version of the Italian company’s A-129 Mangusta International attack

helicopter. One Turkish procurement official confirmed that South Korean officials will attend the tests for the T-129, scheduled to be held in July. South Korea’s decision on its gunship fleet is expected to come in October.


Source: 26 May 2012 - dailyairforce News

Photo: TAI-AgustaWestland T-129 Attack Helicopter (Photo by TAI)

(26.05.2012)