Last Updated on 13/07/2024 by wccexam Desk
Türkiye’s $1.5 billion deal to sell 30 Turkish-made T129 ATAK attack helicopters to Pakistan has been blocked by the United States, according to diplomatic sources in Washington. The U.S. is holding up the export clearance for the LHTEC engines that power the helicopters, which are based on the Agusta A129 Mangusta platform and contain American technology.
The deal, signed in July 2018, has faced repeated delays due to the U.S. refusal to issue an export license to the Turkish company TAI that manufactures the helicopters. In January 2020, Ankara and Islamabad extended the delivery timeline by a year, with Pakistan retaining the option to purchase Chinese Z-10 attack helicopters if the Turkish deal falls through.
Türkiye’s presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin stated that the U.S. blockade of the helicopter sale will likely lead Pakistan to acquire the aircraft from China instead. He added that the U.S. sanctions on Türkiye, triggered by Ankara’s purchase of Russian S-400 missiles, have also impacted the helicopter deal.
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The T129 ATAK is designed for advanced attack and reconnaissance missions in hot and high environments, day or night[2]. Developed by TAI in partnership with the Italian-British firm Agusta-Westland, the helicopter is a key part of Türkiye and Pakistan’s deepening defense cooperation.
In 2021, Türkiye hired a Washington law firm to lobby the U.S. administration and Congress for an export license to complete the Pakistan deal, the largest defense contract for Ankara. However, the latest U.S. intervention has likely derailed the agreement, forcing Pakistan to explore alternative options.