Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) has released the ofcial specifcations of its TFX, Milli Muharebe Uçagi (National Combat Aircraft). The twin-engine allweather, ffth-generation airsuperiority fghter is designed to complement the Türk Hava Kuvvetleri's (Turkish Air Force’s) future ?eet of F-35 Lightning IIs and replace its F-16s.
Production is expected to run until 2070.According to the company, the TFX will have a
maximum takeo? weight of 27,215kg (60,000lb), a length of 19m (62ft 3in) and wingspan of 12m (39ft 3in). Power will come from two turbofan engines, each generating 20,000lb (89kN) thrust.The new fghter will have a
combat range in excess of 600 nautical miles (1,110km) and a ceiling of more than 55,000ft (16,764m). Maximum speed will be Mach 2. The press release did not disclose aircraft weights or payload capacity.
First ?ight of the largely indigenously built aircraft is scheduled for 2023. BAE Systems was awarded a contract worth over £100 million in January 2017 to help design the TFX. Under the four-year contract, BAE Systems is to provide 400 man years of engineering consulting and technical support work to TAI. Upon its completion, BAE Systems is expected to receive another contract to support the development of the TFX in Turkey.
Rolls-Royce was for a long time considered to be a shoo-in for sharing the larger part of the engine design e?ort through cooperation with Kale Group. The two companies share 49% and 51% respectively of TAEC Uçak Motor Sanayi AS, which was formed in May 2017 to provide turbofan engines for TFX. However, perhaps in the light of Lockheed Martin’s experience with the F-35, the Turks have decided to keep their options on engines and other systems open.
Turkish Defence Minister Nurettin Canikli said in London in November 2017: “When you work with a single company or when you depend on a single country, you could face di?erent problems in certain stages of the project.” It should be noted that TUSAS Engine A S (TEI), an entity co-owned by TAI (50.5%), General Electric (46.2%) and the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation and Turkish Aeronautical Association (3.3%), has submitted its own engine proposal to the SSM.
Publicado: Jue Ene 25, 2018 10:08 am
O tal vez a Corea del Sur le interese para sus F-15K, como el Taurus.