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Turkish aerospace motor manufacturer TUSAS Engine Industries (TEI) has developed more than 20 unique superalloys and titanium alloys as part of a comprehensive effort to eliminate foreign dependence in fighter jet and helicopter motor technology, company leadership announced on Wednesday.
TEI General Director Professor Mahmut Faruk Aksit told an audience at Sakarya Applied Sciences University that the company has completed an end-to-end technology chain spanning from raw ore extraction to finished motors, a major milestone for Türkiye's defense industry.
"Today, we have developed more than 20 original superalloys and titanium alloys, all designed for our own motors," Aksit said during the university's 105th speaker series presentation, titled "How Do We Develop the Technologies That Develop Motors?"
Aksit emphasized the strategic importance of advanced motor technology in modern defense by saying, "Wars are now won in laboratories and factories. The technology you produce determines the fate of war," noting that TEI has made significant progress in a short time, producing motors for unmanned aerial vehicles, helicopters and aircraft.
Aksit described the technical challenges of motor development, noting, "Inside aircraft engines, temperatures reach half the temperature of the sun's surface. Finding metal that can operate in such extreme heat is very difficult. Turbine blades must be both light and strong enough to carry loads exceeding the aircraft's weight."
"That is why cooling systems, special coatings and material technologies are critically important," he added.
Aksit detailed TEI's localization achievements, stating, "Only a few countries in the world can produce the specialized metals used in motor manufacturing. TEI now develops these metals entirely in-house."
"We established Türkiye's first internationally certified materials test laboratory," he added.
"We now determine the composition of our own alloys, melt the metal, pour it into molds and test it. We also succeeded in producing single-piece turbine blades using domestic capabilities. Thus, we have completed the entire production chain from ore to motor in Türkiye," Aksit noted.
The breakthrough included extracting pure cobalt and pure nickel from domestic Turkish ore for the first time. "We formulate the materials ourselves, melt them and produce them. We established a Materials Characterization Center with international certification. The test data we conduct there holds international certification," Aksit said.
Aksit outlined TEI's current motor development across three main categories. Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) motors are already in serial production and deployed in the Aksungur, Anka and TB3 platforms.
"We have been producing and selling UAV motors in serial manufacturing for some time. Our motors are used in Aksungur, Anka and TB3. The TB3 landed on and took off from the Anadolu ship with our motor and experienced no problems," Aksit said.
TEI has completed manufacturing preparations for the helicopter motor developed for the Gokbey helicopter, with the unit now progressing through certification processes.
"We made our first flight with Gokbey several years ago. Now the certification process is underway. It is not possible to install an uncertified motor on a certified helicopter. When the process is completed, we will move to serial production," Aksit said.
The TF6000, Türkiye's first genuine fighter jet motor, represents a turning point in the nation's motor technology development, according to Aksit.
"The TF6000 motor is a real fighter jet engine. We developed it, tested it and displayed it at Teknofest. We ran the motor there at full power. Now we are in the final stages. Fifth-generation aircraft motors are complex and require long processes, but we believe we will successfully complete this work," Aksit said.
Advanced nations have taken notice of Türkiye's achievements. Aksit recounted a visit from a turbine manufacturer from a developed nation that produces natural gas turbines but has been unable to develop aircraft motors.
"A company from a country that produces natural gas turbines but cannot develop aircraft motors asked us for a meeting. Their government responded to them saying, 'Look at what the Turks accomplished in 10 years, and you still cannot make motors.' They came and asked 'How did you develop these technologies?'" Aksit said.
Aksit stressed that Türkiye has achieved an independent motor technology ecosystem, eliminating most foreign dependence.
"As Türkiye, we have reached a self-sufficient ecosystem in motor technologies. We now manage the entire process from ore to motor using domestic capabilities. This success is not just TEI's pride, but the shared pride of Turkish engineering," Aksit said.
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