Washington/Ankara: – The United States has put the supply of attack helicopters by Turkey to Pakistan on hold. Turkey had signed an agreement for the supply of 30 attack helicopters. But the engines in the helicopters are US-made, and the US administration has refused permission to export these engines. The development points to an increase in the tension between the United States and Turkey.
In July 2018, Pakistan signed a defence agreement with Turkey. Turkey was to supply indigenously made ‘Attack T-129’ multirole helicopters to Pakistan as per the agreement. Under this agreement, worth USD 1.5 billion, Turkey was to supply 30 helicopters to Pakistan. Although Turkey claims that the helicopters are indigenously made, the helicopters are actually based on the A129 Mangusta helicopters of the Augusta company in the United States. The US LHTEC engine is used in these helicopters. Turkey has retained the US-made engine in the helicopter developed by it. Therefore, Turkey must seek permission when the helicopters are to be supplied to a different country. Using this same provision, the new US administration has refused permission to export these engines to Turkey. Therefore, the Turkish hopes of supplying these helicopters to Pakistan seem to be dusted.
Turkey itself announced that the United States had refused permission to export the engines to Turkey. Ibrahim Kalin, the spokesman of Turkish President Recep Erdogan, said, ‘The United States has halted the supply of helicopters by Turkey to Pakistan. This decision could be detrimental to the interests of the United States itself.’ the Turkish spokesman also indicated that Pakistan would have to buy the helicopters from China because of the US decision.
It is believed that the US decision has rocked even Pakistan. For the last few years, Pakistan was focusing on improving relations with Turkey along with China. Pakistan realised that the weapons and defence equipment supplied by China is of inferior quality. Therefore, Pakistan took the option to order the attack helicopters from Turkey. But apparently, Pakistan will once again have to turn to China for this requirement. This will have a telling effect on the capability of the Pakistan military. The US stand indicates that Pakistan will be forced to make such compromises even in the future.
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