Helicopter Day at TUSAŞ

As part of the Indigenous Helicopter Program, initiated by an agreement signed in 2013 between the Undersecretariat for Defence Industries (SSM) and TUSAŞ – Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ), a company of the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation (TSKGV), TUSAŞ is developing 5-ton-class helicopters designed for both civilian and military applications. These helicopters will be certified by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and Turkey's General Directorate of Civil Aviation. The preliminary design phase of the project is nearing completion, with the first flight targeted for 2018 and the aircraft expected to enter service in 2020.

A groundbreaking ceremony for the facilities where prototype development, production, and subsystem integration will take place was held on August 5, 2015, at TUSAŞ’s premises in Ankara’s Kazan district. These facilities will also house advanced testing laboratories.

On the same day, a subcontracting agreement was signed between TUSAŞ and ASELSAN, another TSKGV company, for the development and integration of avionics systems to be used in the Indigenous Helicopter. This agreement includes the design of approximately 40 avionics components for both civilian and military configurations. The advanced avionics systems aim to make the helicopters globally competitive and innovative through cutting-edge technology.

The ceremonies, hosted by TUSAŞ Chairman Nejat Bilgin and CEO Muharrem Dörtkaşlı, were attended by prominent officials, including:

SSM Undersecretary Prof. Dr. İsmail Demir
TSKGV General Manager Orhan Akbaş
SSM Deputy Undersecretaries Mustafa Şeker and Celal Sami Tüfekçi
Representatives from ASELSAN and other key stakeholders in the defense and aerospace sectors.

This collaboration marks a significant step forward for Turkey’s aerospace ambitions, emphasizing its commitment to producing innovative and competitive aviation platforms.