Türkiye’s first indigenous general-purpose helicopter, GÖKBEY, developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries, has reached another major milestone with its first delivery to the Turkish Land Forces Command. The helicopter, which had previously been delivered to the Gendarmerie General Command, has now entered the inventory of the Turkish Armed Forces through a delivery ceremony held at Turkish Aerospace’s Kahramankazan facility.

The ceremony was attended by Presidency of Defense Industries President Haluk Görgün, Turkish Land Forces Commander General Metin Tokel and Turkish Aerospace CEO Mehmet Demiroğlu. Speaking at the event, Görgün emphasized that GÖKBEY’s design, production of nearly all main and sub-systems, testing and certification activities were carried out through national resources. He stated that the delivery was not merely a ceremony, but a concrete demonstration of the level reached by Türkiye’s national aviation industry.

Görgün announced that 15 more GÖKBEY helicopters will be delivered to the Turkish Land Forces Command in the coming years, while 42 additional helicopters will be delivered to the Ministry of Interior. Together with other users, a total of 83 GÖKBEY helicopters will be put into service under the program. According to Görgün, GÖKBEY’s versatile mission capability will make significant contributions to the Turkish Land Forces by increasing mobility and operational flexibility.

The helicopter is expected to serve not only in security and defense missions but also in civilian roles, including air ambulance operations. Görgün also expressed confidence that GÖKBEY would achieve export success in the international market. He noted that the helicopter currently has a localization rate of over 70 percent, and that ongoing certification activities for the integration of the domestically developed TS1400 engine are continuing. With the integration of the national engine, the localization rate is expected to exceed 80 percent.

Turkish Aerospace CEO Mehmet Demiroğlu stated that GÖKBEY represents several firsts for Türkiye’s defense and aviation industry. He said the latest delivery marks the first handover to the Land Forces Aviation Command and covers the first of two helicopters planned for this phase. Demiroğlu added that the second helicopter is scheduled for delivery in June, while production, training and delivery activities continue without interruption.

Land Forces Commander General Metin Tokel underlined that the risks, threats and uncertainties emerging in Türkiye’s region and around the world clearly demonstrate the importance of having a domestic, national and modern defense industry to strengthen the deterrence of the Turkish Armed Forces. Tokel stated that the Land Forces Command supports defense projects with a vision that takes technological developments into account. He also highlighted ongoing efforts in areas such as kamikaze drones, UAVs, long-range missiles, integrated multi-layered air defense systems and survivability systems designed to protect these assets.

GÖKBEY was developed as a general-purpose helicopter capable of performing a wide range of missions, including personnel and cargo transport, search and rescue, medical evacuation, logistics support and other operational tasks. With its indigenous design and versatile structure, the platform offers broad mission flexibility for both military and civilian users. The first delivery to the Turkish Land Forces Command marks the beginning of a wider deployment process for GÖKBEY, while domestic engine integration and planned future deliveries are expected to further strengthen the program.