Turkish Aerospace Industries
{{Short description|Turkish aerospace and defense company}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Turkish Aerospace Inc.
| logo = Turkish_Aerospace_Industries_logo.svg
| native_name = Türk Havacılık Ve Uzay Sanayi Anonim Şirketi (TUSAŞ)
| type = Incorporated company
| traded_as =
| industry = Aerospace and arms industry
| predecessor = Turkish Aircraft Industries Corporation
TUSAS Aerospace Industries, Inc.
| fate =
| successor =
| founded = {{start date|1925|08|16|df=y}}{{efn|as the Turkish Aircraft and Engine Limited Company}}
28 June 1973{{efn|current form}}
| founder =
| key_people = Ömer Cihad Vardan{{cite web |title=Ömer Cihad VARDAN |url=https://www.tusas.com/en/corporate/management/board-of-management/omer-cihad-vardan |website=Turkish Aerospace Industries |access-date=10 August 2024}} (chairman)
Mehmet Demiroğlu{{cite web |title=Mehmet DEMİROĞLU, Ph.D. |url=https://www.tusas.com/en/corporate/management/board-of-management/dr-mehmet-demiroglu |website=Turkish Aerospace Industries |access-date=10 August 2024}} (president & CEO)
| hq_location_city = Ankara
| hq_location_country = Turkey{{cite web|url=https://www.tusas.com/en/corporate/facilities|title=Turkish Aerospace: Facilities}}
| location = Kahramankazan
| area_served = Worldwide
| products = Aircraft, helicopters, satellites, unmanned aerial vehicles
| services =
| revenue = ₺63.575 billion{{cite web |title=TUSAŞ – Türk Havacılık ve Uzay A.Ş. |url=https://www.fortuneturkey.com/fortune500?yil=2024&fcode=tusas---turk-havacilik-ve-uzay-sanayi-a-s--F277882#popup |website=Fortune Turkey |access-date=27 October 2024 |date=2024}}
| revenue_year = 2023
| operating_income =
| income_year =
| net_income =
| net_income_year =
| assets =
| assets_year =
| equity =
| equity_year =
| owner = Turkish Armed Forces Foundation (54.49%)
Defence Industry Agency (45.45%)
Turkish Aeronautical Association (0.06%)
| num_employees = 17,000 (7000 engineers 6000 technicians){{cite web |trans-title=National fighter jet KAAN is in the final stage|url=https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/ekonomi/milli-savas-ucagi-kaan-son-duzlukte/3103808|title=Milli savaş uçağı KAAN son düzlükte|access-date=3 April 2025|date=9 January 2024|publisher=Anadolu Agency|language=tr}}
| num_employees_year = January 2024
| parent =
| divisions = Aerostructures Group
Aircraft Group
Helicopter Group
UAS Group
Space Systems Group
| subsid =
| homepage = {{url|https://www.tusas.com}}
| footnotes =
| intl =
}}
Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc. ({{langx|tr|Türk Havacılık ve Uzay Sanayi A.Ş.}}, {{Abbr.}}TAI or TUSAŞ) is a state-owned{{cite web |url=https://www.tusas.com/en/corporate/about-us |title=About Us |access-date=23 October 2024}} arms company in Turkey.
History
On 16 August 1925 the Turkish Aircraft and Engine Limited Company ({{langx|tr|Tayyare ve Motor Türk Anonim Şirketi, TOMTAŞ}}) factory was founded in Kayseri, Turkey.{{Cite web |title=The First P-24A Aircraft Produced at Kayseri Aircraft Factory is Exhibited on the Square |url=https://www.raillynews.com/2023/06/amputee-football-a-national-team-will-fight-in-the-nations-league/ |access-date=2023-05-24 |website=raillynews.com}} The company received its current name in 1973 and was incorporated into the Ministry of Industry and Technology of Turkey to reduce the "foreign dependence" of the country's defense industry.{{Cite web |title=Hakkımızda |trans-title=About Us |url=https://www.tusas.com/kurumsal/hakkimizda |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=TUSAŞ |language=tr}}{{Cite web |date=23 October 2024 |title=Three killed, 14 injured in terror attack on Turkish aerospace company |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2024/10/23/europe/turkey-ankara-aerospace-attack-intl/index.html |access-date=2024-10-23 |work=CNN}}
Their first project was to make the new F-16 from the US ready for the Turkish Air Force. In 1984 the US companies Lockheed Martin and General Electric joined in, with TAI producing its first F-16 in 1987.{{Cite web |title=F-16 Türkiye |url=https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-tr/index.html |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=Lockheed Martin |language=en}} TAI produced 240 F-16 aircraft for Turkey and assembled 46 F-16s for the Egyptian Air Force in the 1980s and 1990s.{{Cite web |title=Lockheed Martin Sells Its Share of Turkish Joint Venture to Turkish Aircraft Industries, Inc. (TUSAS) |url=https://news.lockheedmartin.com/2005-01-13-Lockheed-Martin-Sells-Its-Share-of-Turkish-Joint-Venture-to-Turkish-Aircraft-Industries-Inc-TUSAS |access-date=2024-10-24 |website=Media – Lockheed Martin}} Because of disagreements, TUSAŞ was not very active in the time span from 1984 to 2005.{{Cn|date=October 2024}}
In 2005 Turkish private persons and Turkish companies bought the shares of Lockheed Martin and General Electric. The new owner agreed to put the company back under control of the Turkish state.
On 23 October 2024 an attack was launched on the company's offices in Kahramankazan, Ankara Province, leaving five people dead and 22 others injured.{{Cite web |date=24 October 2024 |title=At least five killed in attack on aerospace firm near Turkey's Ankara |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/10/23/dead-and-wounded-in-attack-near-ankara-turkish-minister-says |access-date=2024-10-24 |work=Al Jazeera}} The two perpetrators of the attacks were also killed. Later, the PKK admitted to committing the assault.{{cite web |title=Turkey: Kurdish militant group behind attack on aerospace firm |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crr957ee559o |access-date=26 October 2024 |website=BBC}}
Projects
File:TaiIDEF2015 (8).JPG during the IDEF 2015 |alt=]]
TAI's experience includes the licensed production of General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon jets, CASA/IPTN CN-235 light transport/maritime patrol/surveillance aircraft, SIAI-Marchetti SF.260 trainers, Cougar AS-532 search and rescue (SAR), combat search and rescue (CSAR) and utility helicopters as well as the design and development of Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), target drones and agricultural aircraft.
TAI's core business also includes modernization, modification and systems integration programs and after sales support of both fixed and rotary wing military and commercial aircraft that are in the inventory of Turkey and its allies.
TAI's Hürkuş basic trainer aircraft has been granted air worthiness type certification, the company announced at the 2016 Farnborough International Airshow.
Major programs
File:TaiIDEF2015.JPG during the IDEF 2015]]
File:TaiIDEF2015 (11).JPG helicopter of the Turkish Army during the IDEF 2015]]
File:TAI_Aksungur_Teknofest2019_(1).jpg at Teknofest 2019]]
File:Abdullah Gül and Ilham Aliyev at Turkish Aerospace Industries, Inc.,.jpg and Ilham Aliyev at Turkish Aerospace Industries, 2013]]
- Electronic warfare retrofit and structural modifications on Turkish Air Force (TuAF) F-16s.
- MLU, Falcon-Up and Falcon Star Modifications on the Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF) F-16s,
- Modifications of 41 F-16A/B Block 15 aircraft of the Pakistan Air Force to F-16AM/BM Block 15 MLU standard.{{cn|date=November 2022|reason=unreliable and/or copyvio source removed}}
- Modification of the S-2E Tracker Maritime Patrol Aircraft into Fire Fighting Aircraft
- CN-235 and Black Hawk modifications for the Turkish Special Forces
- Modification of CN-235 platforms for MPA/MSA missions for the Turkish Navy and Coast Guard
- Modification and modernization of Eurocopter AS 532,
- Glass Cockpit Retrofit of S-70 helicopters,
- Conversion of B737-700 aircraft AEW&C aircraft,
- Avionics modernization of C-130 aircraft for the Turkish Air Force (TuAF),
- Production and Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) of the center fuselage of Joint Strike Fighter F-35 aircraft,
- Participating in the design and development of the A400M military transport and tanker aircraft,
- Avionics modernization of T-38 aircraft for the TuAF,
- License production of the attack helicopter Agusta A129 Mangusta as T-129 for the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF).
- Design, development and production of TAI Hürkuş (Turkish Primary and Basic Training Aircraft) with EASA CS-23 certification.
- Design, development and production of Anka unmanned aerial vehicle for the TuAF.
Turkish Aerospace/TUSAS produced 46 F-16s for the Egyptian Air Force between 1993 and 1995 under the agreement signed between the Governments of Turkey and the Arab Republic of Egypt.{{Cite web|title=EGYPT F-16 Program {{!}} Turkish Aerospace|url=https://www.tusas.com/en/product/egypt-f-16-program|access-date=2020-09-12|website=www.tusas.com|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=Arabian Aerospace – Phantom wing finally re-equipped with F-16s|url=https://www.arabianaerospace.aero/phantom-wing-finally-re-equipped-with-f-16s.html|access-date=2020-09-23|website=www.arabianaerospace.aero}}{{Cite web|title=Turkey – F-16 Peace Onyx|url=https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/europe/tu-f-16.htm|access-date=2020-09-23|website=www.globalsecurity.org}}{{Cite web|title=F-16 Air Forces – Egypt|url=http://www.f-16.net/f-16_users_article4.html|access-date=2020-09-23|website=www.f-16.net}} A contract to produce 46 Block 40 F-16C/D's for the Egyptian Air Force was placed with TUSAS Aerospace Industries (TAI) of Turkey. 34 of them will be F-16C's, 12 will be F-16D's. This was carried out under the auspices of the Peace Vector IV program, and marked the first sale of a foreign-built Fighting Falcon to a third-party nation in the history of the F-16 program.{{Cite web|title=Lockheed Martin Sells Its Share of Turkish Joint Venture to Turkish Aircraft Industries, Inc. (TUSAS)|url=https://news.lockheedmartin.com/2005-01-13-Lockheed-Martin-Sells-Its-Share-of-Turkish-Joint-Venture-to-Turkish-Aircraft-Industries-Inc-TUSAS|access-date=2020-09-23|website=Media – Lockheed Martin|language=en-us}}
TAI is engaged in manufacturing aerostructures for fixed and rotary wing, military and commercial aircraft for worldwide customers. TAI is in various partnership arrangements with AgustaWestland, Airbus, Alenia Aermacchi, Boeing, IAI, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, MD Helicopters, Sikorsky, Indonesian Aerospace and numerous other companies in aerospace sector.
TAI manufactures Section 18 fuselage panels for Airbus 319/320/321 aircraft, wing tips and flight deck panels for Boeing 737 aircraft, rear doors and engine cowlings for Eurocopter EC135 helicopters, MD 902 fuselage for MD Helicopters, horizontal stabilizers, tail rotor pylons and tail booms for Sikorsky S-70A and MH-60 helicopters, horizontal stabilizers for Sikorsky S-76 helicopters and AB139 fuselages for Agusta. Furthermore, TAI manufactures nose landing gear doors for the Boeing 747, dorsal fin for 777 and parts/subassembly parts for 737/767/777. It also manufactures seven components of the Eurocopter AS 532 helicopter.
TAI, which had a single program (the co-production of the F-16 Fighting Falcon) at its establishment phase, is working on over 50 military and commercial programs today. As a partner of the Airbus Defence and Space, TAI has been participating in the design and development activities of the Airbus A400M program with the leading European aerospace companies; namely Airbus (France, Germany, Spain and UK), EADS CASA (Spain) and FLABEL (Belgium) from the beginning of the project. TAI has accepted the production of A350XWB's winglets with the new cooperation.
In May 2015 the Turkish regional jet project was launched, which consisted of the indigenous production of two regional aircraft in different sizes. The 32-seat TRJ-328 jet with a range up to {{convert|2000|nmi|mi km|abbr=on}} was planned to enter service in 2019. It was a Fairchild Dornier 328JET-based, modernized aircraft with new cockpit and engines. The larger, 70-seat TRJ-628 jet would be ready in 2023. The project has since been cancelled.
In June 2024 news media reported that TAI was responsible for introducing questionable titanium into the supply chain for aircraft parts which ultimately were used to manufacture some Boeing and Airbus passenger planes built between 2019 and 2023. The titanium sold by TAI included falsified authenticity documentation that originated from a metals supplier in China, calling into question whether the titanium was truly aviation-grade. However, Spirit's testing has confirmed that the titanium is the appropriate grade for airplane manufacturers.
Products
= Aircraft =
- TAI Kaan, stealth twin-engine all-weather fifth generation air superiority fighter
- TAI Hürjet, advanced jet trainer and light attack aircraft
- TAI Hürkuş, two-seat, single engine, turboprop aircraft for training and ground attack
- TAI General Aviation Aircraft, for airline pilot training{{Cite web |title=TÜRK HAVAYOLLARI İLE TUSAŞ ARASINDA 20 UÇAKLIK ANLAŞMA SAĞLANDI |url=https://www.defenceturkey.com/tr/icerik/turk-havayollari-ile-tusas-arasinda-20-ucaklik-anlasma-saglandi-5534 |access-date=2023-05-24 |website=www.defenceturkey.com}}
=Helicopters=
- TAI/AgustaWestland T129 ATAK, light attack helicopter
- TAI T-70, Turkish variants of Sikorsky S-70i
- TAI T625, light utility helicopter
- TAI T629, medium attack helicopter
- TAI T925, heavy utility helicopter
- TAI T929 ATAK 2, heavy attack helicopter
=Unmanned aerial vehicles=
- TAI Aksungur MALE ISTAR
- TAI Anka-A (TIHA-A) (2013), MALE ISTAR UAV
- TAI Anka-B (TIHA-B) (2013), MALE UAV
- TAI Anka-S, MALE UCAV
- TAI Anka-3, flying wing design stealth UCAV
- TAI Anka-4, stealth UCAV
- TAI Baykuş (2004), tactical surveillance drone
- TAI Gözcü (2007), short-range tactical ISTAR drone
- TAI Keklik (2001), target drone for tracking and non-firing exercise
- TAI Martı (2003), surveillance drone
- TAI Pelikan (IHA-X2), tactical ISTAR drone
- TAI Şimşek, high-speed target drone
- TAI Turna (2001), target drone for tracking and live firing
- TAI UAV-X1 (1982), surveillance drone{{cn|date=May 2023}}
=Satellites=
- Göktürk-1, Earth observation satellite
- Göktürk-2 (launched 2012), Earth observation satellite
- Göktürk-3 satellite
- Türksat 6A, communications satellite
TAI operates Turkish Satellite Assembly, Integration and Test Center.
See also
{{Portal bar|Turkey|Aviation}}
References
{{reflist|30em|refs=
{{cite news |url=http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/737aewc/ |title=737 AEW&C Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and Control Aircraft, USA |work=airforce-technology.com |access-date=4 June 2010 }}{{Unreliable source?|reason=domain on WP:BLACKLIST|date=June 2016}}
{{cite news |url=http://www.sabah.com.tr/ekonomi/2015/05/27/iste-yerli-yolcu-ucaginin-teknik-ozellikleri |newspaper=Sabah |title=İşte yerli yolcu uçağının teknik özellikleri |date=27 May 2015 |language=tr |access-date=2015-05-31 }}
{{cite news |last=Walker |first=Mark |date=14 June 2024 |title=F.A.A. Investigating How Questionable Titanium Got Into Boeing and Airbus Jets |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/14/us/politics/boeing-airbus-titanium-faa.html |newspaper=The New York Times |location=Washington |access-date=2024-06-15}}
}}
Notes
{{notelist}}
External links
{{commons category|Turkish Aerospace Industries}}
- {{Official website|https://www.tusas.com/en}}
{{TAI aircraft}}
{{Turkey space program}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Aircraft manufacturers of Turkey
Category:Defence companies of Turkey
Category:Government-owned companies of Turkey
Category:Ministry of National Defense (Turkey)
Category:Manufacturing companies based in Ankara
Category:Space program of Turkey
Category:Manufacturing companies established in 1984
Category:Science and technology in Turkey
Category:Unmanned aerial vehicle manufacturers