US REFUSES ENGINE PRODUCTION IN TURKEY FOR ATTACK CHOPPERS
Today’s Zaman
March 31 2008
Turkey
The US administration has turned down an Italian request for the
transfer of technology for US T800 engines to pave the way for their
production in Turkey and to be mounted on Turkish attack helicopters
intended to be co-produced with Italian Agusta Westland.
Unlike an earlier statement made by Undersecretary Murad Bayar of the
Undersecretariat for the Defense Industry (SSM) to daily Hurriyet that
the Italians had ensured that an export license for production of T800
engines in Turkey at Tusas Engine Industries Inc. (TEI) facilities,
local sources close to the project told Today’s Zaman that the US has
only agreed to extend technical assistance support for the engines,
not their production in Turkey.
The engines to be mounted on Turkey’s attack helicopter play an
important role in the project since it would increase the efficiency
of the helicopters in line with the request made by the Turkish Land
Forces Command.
The US refused to sign a manufacturing license agreement (MLA) with
Italy for the LH Tech T800 engines but agreed to sign a technical
assistance agreement (TAA) that envisages technical support to be
given for the engines to be fitted on Turkish attack helicopters,
said the same sources.
The SSM and Italian manufacturer Agusta Westland signed an agreement
in September of last year for the co-production of 51 A129 attack and
tactical reconnaissance helicopters at the Tusaþ Aerospace Industries
(TAI) facilities in Ankara. The project, worth around $2.7 billion,
is codenamed T-129.
The project involves local production of software source codes and
hardware as well as the integration of high-technology avionics on
the helicopters. But due to delays in both export license approval
by the US, as well as the Italian government’s late approval of its
company transferring the necessary technology for the production of
helicopters in Turkey, the project has not yet begun.
The SSM, believing that the latest technical hurdles have been
overcome, plans to make the project effective in the first half of
April, soon after the planned meeting of the SSM Executive Committee
on April 9, during which the procurement of some arms projects will
be decided.
Plans for the acquisition of attack helicopters date back more than
10 years, to when Turkey first decided to buy them as an urgent
requirement. The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), allegedly unhappy about
the selection of the Agusta Westland model over concerns it would not
meet its operational requirements, has urgently sought the transfer
of around 10 used Cobras from the US to meet its needs during the
increased fight with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)
terrorists.
But US has so far turned down the Turkish offer, due to the
unavailability of Cobras, and instead offered armed Black Hawk or
possibly Apache attack helicopters.
In the meantime, the Land Forces Command refused an Italian offer for
the transfer of its own attack helicopters as an interim measure,
despite the fact that the Italian helicopters were selected for
co-production in Turkey and were intended to be used by the Land
Forces Command.
There has been increased speculation in Ankara that Turkey’s attack
helicopter plans with Italy may fail, mainly because the Turkish
configuration requests on the helicopters are hard to meet.
Turkey to opt for US Sikorsky multipurpose helicopters
The SSM Executive Committee, which includes Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdoðan, Chief of General Staff Gen. Yaþar Buyukanýt and
Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul, cancelled a multipurpose helicopter
acquisition project at its Dec. 5, 2007, meeting.
Instead it decided Turkey would conduct talks with the US Sikorsky
and Italian Agusta Westland for the procurement of over 80 helicopters
for the TSK, worth around $1.5 billion.
However, Today’s Zaman has learned that the SSM Executive Committee
is expected to cancel its 2000 decision, under which a tender was
opened for the helicopters’ acquisition. Instead Turkey may now buy
US Sikorsky helicopters as a sole source.
Meanwhile, during its April 9 meeting the SSM Executive Committee
may decide on the winner of another long-awaited acquisition, the
Gokturk electro-optical satellite project — worth around $230 million.
Turkey has decided to eliminate Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) from
the Gokturk project. A selection is expected to be made from among
Italian Telespazio, Germany’s OHB-System and Britain’s EADS Astrium.
Due to heavy French involvement in the Italian offer, the TSK
is allegedly inclined not to favor Telespazio, while reportedly
preferring German OHB-System, though local industrialists state that
Germany does not have a proven satellite system.
Britain’s EADS Astrium, meanwhile, has reportedly increased its
level of technology transfer offer to Turkey, while minimizing French
content in the project to make its system more attractive.
Turkey has reduced its ties with France following the latter’s adoption
of a resolution condemning Ottoman Turks for alleged responsibility
in a so-called genocide of Armenians during World War I.
–Boundary_(ID_IdJtYYrjrstg0EyaSE3Baw)–