Turkish Aerospace Industries’ (TAI) Gokbey utility helicopter could be assembled in Saudi Arabia if an agreement signed here on the sidelines of the World Defense Show (WDS) progresses.

The Turkey-based airframer signed a long-term memorandum of understanding (MOU) with both the Saudi Ministry of Investment and the General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI) to explore the potential of final assembly of the aircraft, as well as associated maintenance and repair and manufacturing of avionics, hydraulics, and aircraft cabin interiors. It proposes that multiple variants of the rotorcraft could be produced in the Kingdom, including civil, naval, and air force versions.

Turkish Aerospace officials say the agreement is a first step toward establishing a major presence here, but it is not quite the deal they had hoped for. The officials said they had hoped to sign an agreement for Saudi partnership on the Kaan combat aircraft. Such a partnership had been signposted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan last week after meetings with Saudi leadership here.

The Kingdom has taken a strong interest in the program since Kaan’s first flight in February 2024. Saudi officials have long expressed a desire to secure a seat at the table on a next-generation fighter, and they have assessed several such programs in Europe and Asia.

Ahead of the deal’s signing, TAI CEO Mehmet Demiroglu had suggested that Saudi Arabia was a natural partner for Turkish aerospace programs.

Turkey and Saudi Arabia have “historical ties” and “religious ties,” Demiroglu told Aviation Week here.

And while those may not be key drivers to the partnership, they are elements “that create a difference,” as do high-level ties between the countries, he said.

The Gokbey is a 6-metric-ton, twin-engine medium helicopter in the class of Leonardo’s AW139 and Airbus’ H160 utility helicopter.

Some 83 Gokbeys are on order for Turkish domestic customers. The first examples have been delivered to the Turkish Jandarma, the country’s military police. Turkish civil certification is also being pursued.

It is not the first time Gokbey has been the subject of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in Saudi Arabia. TAI previously signed a similar agreement during the last edition of WDS in 2024 with the National Company for Mechanical Systems (NCMS), which was also examining potential local assembly.

Riyadh appears eager to pursue local helicopter assembly. Earlier in the week, Airbus Helicopters signed a similar agreement with the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources linked to the airframer’s H175 super-medium helicopter.

Source: Aviation Week