Pakistan to buy 30 gunship helicopters from Turkey

By Goksel Yildirim

ANKARA (AA) - Ankara and Islamabad have signed a deal for the sale of 30 Turkish attack helicopters, according to an election manifesto the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party announced Thursday.

In a November 2017 interview with the Anadolu Agency, Pakistani Minister for Defense Production Rana Tanveer Hussain said his country planned to procure 30 attack helicopters and four naval ships from Turkey.

Hussain revealed that Pakistan was interested in the T129 ATAK helicopter, developed by the Turkish Aerospace Industries and the Italy-based AgustaWestland.

The gunship helicopter was added to the inventory of the Turkish Armed Forces in 2014.

On March 23, T129 ATAK helicopters from Turkey participated in a fly-past ceremony in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad.