Ukraine Delivers First Two Engines for Turkey's Apache Competitor, the T929 ATAK-II Helicopter

Ukraine's Motor Sich has delivered the first two TV3-117VMA-SBM1V-01T engines to Turkish Aerospace (TUSAS) for use in its T929 ATAK-II helicopter, considered a competitor to the American Apache.
The new engines will power the first prototype of the T929 ATAK-II which is a heavier class helicopter compared to the T129 ATAK-I which is powered by the Rolls Royce-Honeywell LHTEC - CTS800-4a engine.
The ATAK-II is scheduled to make its maiden flight this year with the Motor Sich engine which delivers approximately 50% more continuous power than the CTS800 engine.
According to Turkish publication SavunmaSanayiST, the engines were delivered in January 2023 to TUSAS facilities where the first prototype of the T929 Heavy Class Attack Helicopter is currently being assembled. The new engine will be integrated into the ATAK-II helicopter before commencement of ground tests later this year.
The first users of the T929 ATAK-II Helicopter will be the Land Forces Command and the Naval Forces Command.
As per an agreement with the Ukrainian Motor Sich company, 14 engines will be supplied for the ATAK-II project until 2025.

The first two engines were originally planned to be delivered in September 2022 but due to war conditions in Ukraine, deliveries were delayed by 4 months.
The TV3-117VMA family of engines powers a host of Russian origin helicopters such as the Mi28N and KA-50 attack helicopters. Following the break with Ukraine, Russia has developed its own version of TV3-117VMA engines.
TUSAS is in the process of fulfilling a Turkish Land Forces order of 59 T129 ATAK Helicopters, 24 to the Ministry of Interior, 30 helicopters to the Pakistan Air Forces and 6 helicopters to the Philippines Air Forces.
While T129 deliveries to the Plilippines have commenced, that to Pakistan have been held up reportedly due to lack of an export licence from the U.S.