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Türkiye said Tuesday that the first flight crew assigned to the T-625 Gokbey, a domestically developed general-purpose helicopter set to join the Turkish Air Force inventory in October, has completed its training.
The National Defense Ministry said on the social media platform X that the crew successfully completed initial flight training at the facilities of Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), which develops the helicopter.
"Another historic step for our national aviation. The first flight crew for our domestically developed and nationally produced general-purpose helicopter, the T-625 GOKBEY, which is preparing to join the Air Force inventory in October, has successfully completed its training at TAI facilities," the ministry said.
"The personnel who will bring this outstanding platform, a product of Turkish engineering, to the skies in the most effective manner have proudly completed the challenging familiarization process," it added.
The ministry shared a photograph of the newly trained crew alongside the announcement.
The Indigenous Helicopter Program, launched to meet the general-purpose helicopter requirements of the Turkish Armed Forces and other authorities with an original platform, was approved by the Defense Industry Executive Committee (SSIK) on June 15, 2010.
The program's budget and timeline were approved at an SSIK meeting on Jan. 3, 2013, and a contract was signed between the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM), now the Secretariat of Defense Industries (SSB), and TAI on June 26, 2013.
The program drew on knowledge, expertise and experience gained during the T129 ATAK helicopter program, and includes the design and production of critical systems, including structural and avionics systems, transmission, rotor and landing gear, developed entirely with domestic resources.
The T625 Gokbey multirole helicopter is designed to operate in challenging climates and terrain, at high altitudes and temperatures, both day and night.
Due to its range of capabilities, the helicopter can perform missions including transport, VIP transport, cargo, air ambulance, search and rescue, and offshore transport.
The T625 Gokbey completed its maiden flight on Sept. 6, 2018. On April 19, 2023, the helicopter's P1 prototype completed its first test flight powered by the domestically developed TEI-TS1400 turboshaft engines, produced by Turkish Engine Industries (TEI).
The first T625 Gokbey multirole helicopter was delivered to the Gendarmerie General Command during a ceremony attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Deliveries continue as part of the program's ongoing serial production.
The T625 Gokbey has a length of 15.87 meters (52 feet) with rotors turning, a main rotor diameter of 13.2 meters, and a maximum takeoff weight of 6,050 kilograms (13,337 pounds).
The helicopter carries a crew of two and up to 12 passengers, with a standard fuel tank capacity of 1,020 kilograms and an external fuel tank capacity of 280 kilograms.
Its cargo bay volume is 1.1 cubic meters (35 cubic feet).
The helicopter has a maximum cruise speed of 297 km/h (160 knots) and a range of 740 kilometers (400-plus nautical miles), extending to 948 kilometers with an auxiliary fuel tank.
Endurance is rated at 3.8-plus hours, or more than five hours with an auxiliary fuel tank, and the service ceiling is 6,069 meters.
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