Inauguration of Helicopter Business Center Facilities with an Investment of $90 Million by Alp Aviation
Prime Minister Mr. Binali Yıldırım, Minister of Science, Industry and Technology Dr. Faruk Özlü, Undersecretary for Defense Industries Prof. İsmail Demir, Mayor of Eskişehir Mr. Özdemir Çakacak, Alp Aviation Chairman of the Board Mr. Tuncer Alpata, officials from the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries, executives and representatives of Defense Industry companies and many invitees attended the opening ceremony of Alp Aviation Helicopter Business Center Facilities.
With 15 years of expertise in manufacturing critical/rotary components, assembly and sub-systems under high quality, engineering and production standards for aerospace industries, Alp Aviation will now be executing production for the Sikorsky Helicopters as part of the Turkish Utility Helicopter Program (TUHP).
Approximately 400 personnel are expected to be employed at the facility with a production area of 11.000 square-meters entirely consisting of local technology in which engineering, production, assembly, testing and maintenance support services will be provided under a single roof for the first time in Turkey.
Prime Minister Mr. Yıldırım: “Eskişehir will be one of the Leading Cities Regarding Our Ambitious Vision of 2023”
Addressing the participants at the opening ceremony, Prime Minister Mr. Binali Yıldırım said that the world has been rapidly moving into an era of information and technology. “This facility we launch today will be executing production within the framework of Turkish Utility Helicopter Program. Most of the crucial components, powertrain systems, propeller shafts and running gears will be manufactured at Alp Aviation, some of them will be produced by TAI and Aselsan and Lockheed Martin and under full cooperation. The sub-systems manufactured here will not only fulfill Turkey’s demands but also cover the requirements of many countries of our region and the world. These facilities with superior technology are unique in the world. The fact that the young minds of our country and our Turkish engineers will be operating at these facilities is also source of great pride for us. We aim to increase the number of such facilities containing integrated and advanced technology. The leading city within the scope of our ambitious goals for 2023 will be Eskişehir through such investments,” said Mr. Yıldırım.
Stating that extremely crucial components for Sikorsky helicopters will be manufactured at the center as part of the Turkish Utility Helicopter Program, the Minister of Science, Industry and Technology Dr. Faruk Özlü said: “Technologies developed in Turkey for the first time will be utilized at this facility, in which $90 million was invested additionally. The fact that this facility is located at the Organized Industrial Zone of Eskişehir also pleases us. A business volume of $500 million will be developed in these facilities where over 400 qualified staff will be employed. With the Turkish Utility Helicopter Program, the utility helicopter requests of our country will be fulfilled and to be valued at an estimated business volume of $ 3,5 billion for our local industry. This program will play a significant role in the fulfillment of our military and government agencies requirements. The finalized contracts with the Sikorsky will be executed in conjunction with the beginning of the partnerships for the Turkish industry and will last for many years. We assess that this facility that we open today will be utterly essential in showing the distance covered by Turkish companies and engineers. We must underline once more that our companies, engineers and qualified human resources are the greatest foundation of the Turkish industrial revolution. We reached the capacity to manufacture the most advanced technologies in our country. We are proceeding towards the goals we could not reach 15-20 years ago. The essential goal of Turkish industry will be the manufacturing of high technology products and exporting them. In this sense, I would like to express that the Turkish Utility Program is one of the most important steps towards our goal of becoming an industrially advanced country”.
Sikorsky Aircraft President, Mr. Dan Schultz, qualified the facility launch as “a unique facility with advanced technology” and added: “This new facility will pave the way for the accomplishment of Alp/Sikorsky responsibilities regarding the SSM, TAI and Turkish Utility Helicopter Program. I hereby congratulate the Turkish government for their vision and lead the way in the realization of this program.”
Prof. İsmail Demir: “We initiated the Unique Utility Helicopter Program of 10-Ton Class”
Undersecretary for Defense Industries Prof. İsmail Demir stated that the TUHP was launched with the sub-contractorship of Alp Aviation and that the gear and gear boxes will be manufactured for the first time by a Turkish company within the scope of the program to be executed with Aselsan. Underlining that this Project will bring important advantages to the development of the local industry in Turkey, Prof. Demir continued, “In the projects we assumed in the past years, we collaborated with Sikorsky programs merely through labor and today we accomplish 63% of our local content rate through the Turkish Utility Helicopter Program. TAI will be responsible for manufacturing, final assembly operations, tests and integrated logistics support of all airframe structures and composite rotor blades, TEI will build engines under a license from General Electric (GE), Aselsan will develop and integrate basic avionics and will co-develop with Sikorsky an enhanced digital cockpit known as the Integrated Modular Avionics System (IMAS) and Alp Aviation will carry out production and assembly of landing gears, gearbox and dynamic components.
The production of the gear wheels and dynamic components will be accomplished at this center within the scope of the Project. In our opinion, this high business volume of our companies will be a great advantage for Turkey to actualize its unique helicopter design and production. Hereby, I would like to announce that we have initiated the 10-ton Unique Utility Helicopter Program here and express to Sikorsky and our other partners that our doors are always open to them if they are willing to be involved in in this program. I would also like to announce the good news that we have initiated a brand-new program concerning helicopters heavier than our T129 “Atak” helicopters in addition to this program.”
The Chairman of Alp Aviation Mr. Tuncer Alpata: “Helicopters to be Used Jointly by Security Forces will be Manufactured Through this Project”
Hosting the ceremony, The Chairman of Alp Aviation Mr. Tuncer Alpata stated that they covered a long path for this project, recalling the numerous contributors and continued: “As part of the Turkish Utility Helicopter Project, in accordance with the 109 Sikorsky T70 helicopters contract, Alp Aviation will be manufacturing the gears and gear boxes, rotary components, rotor assembly, flight command system and landing gear of these helicopters. On account of this new technology to be implemented in Turkey for the first time, Sikorsky helicopters can be utilized jointly by the Land, Air and Naval Forces, Special Forces, Gendarmerie, National Police and the Ministry of Forestry. Through the mass production soon to be launched at this new facility, in addition to providing support to the Turkish Utility Helicopter Program, these products can be exported to the US Sikorsky company as part of the contracts signed”.
After Sales Support of the Black Hawk Helicopters to be Provided through National Resources
The Helicopter Business Center Facility of Alp Aviation launched as of October will be the high technology production, assembly and test center of all gear wheels, entire gear boxes including the main transmission module, flight critic and dynamic components and their assembly groups, flight control mechanisms and landing gear components of the T70 Black Hawk Helicopters to be manufactured within the scope of the Turkish Utility Helicopter Project executed under the main contractorship of TAI. Since the work share of Alp Aviation within the scope of the project contains numerous critical components and sub systems as spare parts, the spare parts and after sales support of all users (Land Forces Command, Air Forces Command, Gendarmerie General Command, Special Forces Command, National Police, Directorate General of Forestry) could be fulfilled through national resources.
Alp Aviation’s Business Volume Exceeds $7 Billion
Manufacturing mostly flight critical/rotary components, assembly and sub-system for aviation and space industries under high quality engineering and production standards, the long term contractual total business volume of Alp Aviation will exceed $7 billion. As the sole supplier in the world that manufactures such components (TRDS), Alp Aviation will be creating employment opportunities for 400 people in its new facility of 11 thousand square meters. With the influence of new investments, Alp Aviation aims to increase its yearly technological product exports with high added value from $100 million to $400 million in 2023.
Alp Aviation mostly conducts the production of flight critical/rotary components, assembly and sub-system for aerospace industries under high quality engineering and production standards. Their development efforts for the last 15 years have been and remain in line with the industrialization policies and goals of Turkey and the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries. Alp Aviation employs 800 individuals of which 180 are engineers and their long term contractual total business volume, with an infrastructure based on high technology, exceeds $7 billion.
Ranked 167th at the list of 500 greatest exporters list of the Turkish Exporters Assembly for 2016, Alp Aviation entered the İstanbul Chamber of Industry’s Turkey’s 500 Greatest Industrial Enterprises list for 2016, rising from the 497th row.
Manufacturing with over a hundred new generation multi-axial machine tools, CMM quality control equipment, over 60 special processes rarely found in facilities around the world, coating, non-destructive inspection lines, test and laboratory capabilities at the 50.000 m² indoor area at the Eskişehir Organized Industrial Zone, Alp Aviation has a wide scale and range of experience in the processing of titanium, aluminum, stainless steel, copper alloys and super alloys and is amongst worldwide leading aerospace companies in titanium in particular. Developing sub-contractor programs in components, sub-systems and fixture design and manufacturing, engineering and prototype activities, special processes and production support services areas, Alp Aviation has various sub-contractors, mostly in an SME status as part of its efforts to support the development of aerospace clusters in different cities in Turkey, with Eskişehir being in the first place
