Turkey To Buy Helos for Coast Guardc

Turkey's procurement authorities have launched a new program for the purchase of four utility helicopters for the country's Coast Guard, with an option to buy two more, the procurement agency said. (Turkish Aerospace Industries)

Mar. 3, 2014 - By BURAK EGE BEKDIL – Defense News

ANKARA — Turkey’s procurement authorities have launched a new program for the purchase of four utility helicopters for the country’s Coast Guard, with an option to buy two more, the procurement agency said.

The Undersecretariat for Defense Industries said Feb. 28 that the contract involves four helicopters, spare parts, ground support, training, technical assistance/support and two optional helicopters and related ILS goods and services. Bidders should also include industrial participation and offset terms in their bids, due June 16.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced Feb. 21 that his government and US helicopter manufacturer Sikorsky Aircraft had signed a long-dormant $3.5 billion contract to co-produce an initial batch of 109 utility helicopters. Penning the deal had been delayed since last May over factors that top Turkish procurement managers blamed on “US corporate and other bureaucracy.”

Turkey in 2011 selected Sikorsky over Italian-British AgustaWestland as its partner company to lead production of the country’s next-generation utility helicopters. Sikorsky proposed the T-70, a Turkish version of its S-70 Black Hawk International., which is used by dozens of militaries, including Turkey’s. AgustaWestland was competing with its TUHP 149, a Turkish version of its new A-149.

With follow-on orders of the T-70, more than 600 could be built at a cost of more than $20 billion, defense analysts said.

Most helicopters in the first batch will go to the military, with the Gendarmerie receiving the largest portion, and the Army, Navy, Air Force and special operations command each getting their share. The remaining machines will go to the Security Directorate, meaning the police forces, and to the Firefighting Department.