After the ATAK II a new heavy multi-role helicopter for the Turkish armed forces 

Today, Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) only supplies the Turkish armed forces with various helicopters, including the T129 ATAK multi-role combat helicopter with a maximum take-off weight of just over 5 tonnes, and the T625 Gökbey multi-role helicopter with a MTOW of 6 tonnes, a maximum cruising speed of 306 km/h and a maximum range of between 740 and over 980 km. This situation is set to change in the short term, as the Turkish manufacturer is currently working on a new heavy attack helicopter called the T929 ATAK II, which is currently under development (it made its maiden flight at the end of last April). But on the second day of the 2023 edition of Le Bourget,  manufacturer TAI held a press conference at which it presented a new heavy utility helicopter for the Turkish armed forces. With a maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of 11.5 tonnes, the T925 will enhance the Turkish army's transport capabilities.

The T925 to exceed the Gökbey 

The T925, also named General Purpose II by Turkish Aerospace Industries CEO Temel Kotil, is 19.95 m long and has a main rotor diameter of 17.3 m, while the Gökbey operates with a main rotor diameter of 13.20 m and is 15.87 m long. The General Purpose II in fact meets a need for increased transport capacity, particularly in terms of passengers, and where the T625 carries 12, the T925 will be able to carry 18, according to Temel Kotil's statement.

In terms of performance, the General Purpose II will have a range of up to 3 hours, with an operational range of 370.4 km, which is less than that of the Gökbey. Finally, it will have a service ceiling of 20,000 feet (or 6096 meters) equivalent to the T625, whose various applications it should inherit: 

• transport of troops and equipment,
• search and rescue,
• VIP transport,
• firefighting,
• medical transport.

The precise date of the helicopter's first flight is not yet known, but should be within the next two years.

The question of the Ukrainian engine

Like the ATAK II, the T925 should feature engines supplied by Ukrainian engine-maker Motor Sich, with the ATAK II boasting 2,500 hp produced by two TV3-117VMA-SBM1V series 1 engines from Motor Sich. However, the conflict in Ukraine could have an impact on the supply of these engines to the Turkish manufacturer.

Temel Kotil maintained his confidence in the ability of his Ukrainian partners to supply the engines in question. However, he said that if Motor Sich were unable to supply the engines, TAI would be able to develop its own indigenously. The work would be carried out using as a starting point the Turkish-designed engine currently powering the Gökbey, which would then serve as the technological basis for those on the two heavy helicopters.