GÖKBEY general purpose helicopter was delivered to the Land Forces Command. Presidential Defense Industries (SSB) President Haluk Görgün, Land Forces Commander General Metin Tokel and TAI General Manager Mehmet Demiroğlu attended the delivery ceremony held at the Kahramankazan campus of Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI). In his speech at the ceremony, Görgün stated that GÖKBEY’s design, production, testing and certification of almost all its main and subsystems were carried out with national resources, and that with this delivery, they did not just hold a ceremony, but also witnessed the level reached by the national aviation industry.
Explaining that the second delivery ceremony was held at TAI this month, Görgün reminded that T129 ATAK, T70 helicopters and AKSUNGUR UAV were previously delivered to the General Directorate of Security. “A total of 83 helicopters will be put at the service of institutions.” Emphasizing that the steps taken with the National Technology Move are followed with envy in the international arena, Görgün said: “In the coming years, we will deliver 15 more GÖKBEYs to our Land Forces Command and 42 more GÖKBEYs to our Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Together with other users, we will offer a total of 83 helicopters to the service of our institutions within the scope of the GÖKBEY Program. GÖKBEY will make significant contributions to the services of our Land Forces Command with its features. “With its versatile use, it will further increase the mobility and mission flexibility of our Land Forces.” Pointing out that GÖKBEY will be used not only in the field of security and defense but also in the civilian field as an air ambulance, Görgün expressed his belief that the helicopter will achieve export success.
Görgün stated that certification activities for the integration of the domestic engine TS1400 into the GÖKBEY platform are continuing and said, “Our localization rate in GÖKBEY is over 70 percent, and hopefully we will increase this rate to over 80 percent with the domestic engine integration.” he said. “The delivery of the second helicopter is in June.” TAI General Manager Mehmet Demiroğlu also stated that GÖKBEY contains firsts for the Turkish defense and aviation industry.
Explaining that this delivery is the first delivery to the Land Forces Aviation Command and includes the first of two helicopters, Demiroğlu said, “We will deliver the second one in June. Our production, training and delivery activities continue without slowing down. “Hopefully, we will make a rapidly increasing number of deliveries to both our Land Forces and other forces this year and in the coming years.” he said.
“Domestic and national defense industry is important for our deterrence” Land Forces Commander General Metin Tokel emphasized that the risks, threats and uncertainties emerging in the world and in the region reveal the importance of having a domestic, national and modern defense industry to increase the deterrence of the Turkish Armed Forces. Stating that, as the Land Forces Command, they support projects with a vision that takes technological developments into account, Tokel said, “Activities continue to establish kamikaze drones and UAVs, long-range missiles, integrated and multi-layered air defense systems and a survivability system that will protect them.
“We will have gained an important capability by including our national aircraft, which can meet modern international standards, in the Land Forces inventory.” made his assessment. The ceremony ended with the presentation of gifts and delivery documents after the speeches. Source: AA
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