T129 ATAK Deliveries & Inventory: How Many Built, and Which Operators? (2026)

The T129 ATAK is a twin-engine attack helicopter, redesigned from the A129 Mangusta to Turkish requirements. About 95 percent of serial-production parts are made in Türkiye, with avionics, weapons and electro-optics largely supplied by ASELSAN, ROKETSAN and TEI.

It is one of the key programs that matured Türkiye’s platform-integration capability.

The T129 ATAK serves with three Turkish institutions and three export operators. The table summarises orders and deliveries per open sources.

Domestic deliveries total 78. The Gendarmerie’s latest aircraft arriving with the ASELFLIR-410 suite and an indigenous Sarsılmaz 20 mm gun shows subsystem localisation rising with each batch.

The maiden flight was on 28 September 2009. The first serial-production T129 entered service with the Land Forces on 22 April 2014. Nine interim T129A EDH (Early Delivery Helicopter) aircraft — armed with a 20 mm cannon and 70 mm rockets but lacking full anti-tank capability — were taken on first, followed by the fully equipped T129B.

Per open sources, 78 domestically: 58 of 60 to the Land Forces, 16 of 23 to the Gendarmerie, and 4 to the National Police. The manufacturer cited over 100 serial-production examples by 2023.

The T129 ATAK is Türkiye’s first exported attack helicopter. The Philippines completed its 6-aircraft order in May 2024 (first delivery March 2022). Nigeria‘s ~$270M 6-helicopter contract saw first deliveries in November 2023. Somalia has also received 6 per open sources.

The T129 ATAK uses the LHTEC CTS800-4A (a Honeywell-Rolls-Royce venture) built under licence by TEI. After the US blocked exports to Pakistan, TEI developed the fully indigenous TS1400 turboshaft, now used on the T929 ATAK-II, with integration onto the T129 under way.

The prime contractor is TUSAŞ (TAI) in Ankara; AgustaWestland/Leonardo is co-developer.

• Engine: LHTEC CTS800-4A (TEI licence); indigenous TEI TS1400 developed
• Electro-optics: ASELSAN ASELFLIR-300T / ASELFLIR-410
• Anti-tank missiles: ROKETSAN UMTAS / L-UMTAS
• Guided rockets: ROKETSAN CİRİT
• Cannon: indigenous Sarsılmaz 20 mm / M197

Remaining units of the Land Forces’ 60-helicopter order and the Gendarmerie’s 23-helicopter program continue. Bangladesh ordered 6 in 2025. Medium-term attention shifts to TS1400 integration on the T129 and serial production of the heavier T929 ATAK-II.

The first serial-production T129 ATAK was delivered to the Turkish Land Forces on 22 April 2014. Its maiden flight was on 28 September 2009 in Vergiate, Italy.

Per open sources, 78 domestically: 58 to the Land Forces, 16 to the Gendarmerie and 4 to the National Police. Exports: 6 each to the Philippines, Nigeria and Somalia.

Domestically the Land Forces, Gendarmerie and National Police; export operators are the air forces of the Philippines, Nigeria and Somalia. Bangladesh has placed an order.

Yes. The Gendarmerie operates 16 T129 ATAK; the latest, ‘J-1389 Yıldırım’ delivered 14 December 2025, carries the ASELFLIR-410 suite and an indigenous Sarsılmaz 20 mm gun.

Pakistan ordered 30 in 2018, but the US refused to export the CTS800 engine under CAATSA — approving the same engine for the Philippines and Nigeria but not Pakistan.

The current T129 uses the LHTEC CTS800-4A built under TEI licence. To overcome export limits, TEI developed the indigenous TS1400 turboshaft.