US reluctance delays Pakistan, Turkey's multi-billion dollar defense deal

• US has been reluctant to grant Turkey technology export license.
• The TAI/AgustaWestland T129 ATAK is a twin-engine, tandem seat, multi-role, all-weather attack helicopter

The chilling relations between US and Turkey have come back to bite the defence deal between Turkey and Pakistan, as Islamabad extended the deadline for Turkish Aerospace Industries to deliver 30 T129 helicopter gunships .

“Pakistan has agreed to give us another year [to resolve the problem]. We hope we will be able to develop our indigenous engine soon to power the T129,” Ismail Demir, the head of Turkey’s top procurement agency, said quoted Defense News.

“After one year, Pakistan may be satisfied with the level of progress in our engine program, or the U.S. may grant us the export license,” he said.

As per the report, US has been reluctant to grant Turkey technology export license, as TAI needs the US-made parts for which it need US export licenses in order to materialize the deal. However, in order to overcome this issue the Turkish government has tasked Tusas Engine Industries, TAI’s sister company, with developing its own engine for the T129.

The TAI/AgustaWestland T129 ATAK is a twin-engine, tandem seat, multi-role, all-weather attack helicopter based on the Agusta A129 Mangusta platform.

In July 2018, Turkey and Pakistan signed an agreement on the sale of 30 Turkish T129 attack helicopters in what will be the biggest export deal of the Turkish defence industry. The deal encompasses the provision of logistics, spare parts, training and ammunition for the helicopters, which were to  be delivered gradually over five years.