Helis, April 06, 2026 - ANKARA – Prof. Dr. Haluk Görgün, President of the Secretariat of Defense Industries (SSB), and Prof. Dr. Kemal Memişoğlu, Turkey’s Minister of Health, jointly inspected the production, launch and flight-test activities of the Gökbey Air Ambulance at Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ) facilities.
The visit highlighted the next phase of the T625 Gökbey program, which recently received certification for civilian use in Türkiye, opening the way for wider deployment beyond military and security missions. Recent reporting on the air-ambulance configuration said three Gökbey helicopters for the Ministry of Health are expected to be delivered within 6 to 8 months.
Developed through Turkey’s domestic aerospace ecosystem, the Gökbey has emerged as one of the country’s most important indigenous aviation programs. Its multi-role platform is designed for demanding operational environments and is now being adapted for urgent medical transport and emergency health services.
“Our defense and aviation industry continues to grow on the basis of local and national capabilities,” Prof. Dr. Haluk Görgün said during the visit, emphasizing that the Gökbey program reflects Turkey’s ambition to achieve greater self-reliance in advanced technologies.
Air ambulance interior
The project’s progress has been made possible through the combined efforts of TUSAŞ, ASELSAN and TEI, together with the engineers, technicians and support personnel involved across the program. With its advanced avionics, twin-engine configuration and expanding mission portfolio, the Gökbey Air Ambulance is expected to become an important asset in Turkey’s healthcare infrastructure, supporting faster response and life-saving transport nationwide.
Originally launched in 2013 under the Turkish Indigenous Light Utility Helicopter (TLUH) program, the Gökbey was conceived by the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) as Turkey’s first domestically developed multi-role helicopter.
Managed by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ), the aircraft achieved its maiden flight on 6 September 2018 and has since undergone an extensive certification and development campaign. A major milestone in the program came with the integration of the TEI-TS1400 turboshaft engine, giving Turkey a domestically developed powerplant for the platform and strengthening the helicopter’s national industrial identity. Recent reports note that the certification campaign included hundreds of technical meetings, tests and compliance documents before the platform secured its civilian approval in March 2026.
With civilian certification now in hand, the Gökbey is positioned to expand beyond defense and internal security roles into medical evacuation, search and rescue, utility transport and commercial operations.
By early 2026, the T625 Gökbey program had moved from development into serial production and operational delivery. Reporting indicates that the first production helicopter was delivered in October 2024, with subsequent deliveries following, including a fourth helicopter transferred to the Gendarmerie in August 2025. Industry reporting in early 2026 stated that at least five production helicopters had been delivered to Turkish security users.
The program’s order book expanded significantly during IDEF 2025, when SSB and TUSAŞ signed a contract for 57 additional T625 Gökbey helicopters powered by the indigenous TEI-TS1400 engine. That batch was reported as scheduled to begin deliveries from 2028.
Reported distribution for the 57-aircraft batch includes:
Air Force Command: 11
Gendarmerie General Command: 14
General Directorate of Security: 15
Land Forces Command: 8
Coast Guard Command: 6
Naval Forces Command: 3
Looking ahead, the Gökbey is also gaining international momentum. In February 2026, TUSAŞ signed an MoU with Saudi Arabia covering the joint production of Gökbey helicopters in the Kingdom, marking the platform’s first major international industrial partnership and potentially paving the way for export orders.
Overall, the Gökbey is evolving from a national development program into a broader symbol of Turkey’s aerospace ambitions, with roles spanning humanitarian, medical, security and future export markets.
The visit highlighted the next phase of the T625 Gökbey program, which recently received certification for civilian use in Türkiye, opening the way for wider deployment beyond military and security missions. Recent reporting on the air-ambulance configuration said three Gökbey helicopters for the Ministry of Health are expected to be delivered within 6 to 8 months.
Developed through Turkey’s domestic aerospace ecosystem, the Gökbey has emerged as one of the country’s most important indigenous aviation programs. Its multi-role platform is designed for demanding operational environments and is now being adapted for urgent medical transport and emergency health services.
“Our defense and aviation industry continues to grow on the basis of local and national capabilities,” Prof. Dr. Haluk Görgün said during the visit, emphasizing that the Gökbey program reflects Turkey’s ambition to achieve greater self-reliance in advanced technologies.
Air ambulance interior
The project’s progress has been made possible through the combined efforts of TUSAŞ, ASELSAN and TEI, together with the engineers, technicians and support personnel involved across the program. With its advanced avionics, twin-engine configuration and expanding mission portfolio, the Gökbey Air Ambulance is expected to become an important asset in Turkey’s healthcare infrastructure, supporting faster response and life-saving transport nationwide.
TAI Gökbey
Originally launched in 2013 under the Turkish Indigenous Light Utility Helicopter (TLUH) program, the Gökbey was conceived by the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) as Turkey’s first domestically developed multi-role helicopter.
Managed by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ), the aircraft achieved its maiden flight on 6 September 2018 and has since undergone an extensive certification and development campaign. A major milestone in the program came with the integration of the TEI-TS1400 turboshaft engine, giving Turkey a domestically developed powerplant for the platform and strengthening the helicopter’s national industrial identity. Recent reports note that the certification campaign included hundreds of technical meetings, tests and compliance documents before the platform secured its civilian approval in March 2026.
With civilian certification now in hand, the Gökbey is positioned to expand beyond defense and internal security roles into medical evacuation, search and rescue, utility transport and commercial operations.
Production Status, Operators and Orders
By early 2026, the T625 Gökbey program had moved from development into serial production and operational delivery. Reporting indicates that the first production helicopter was delivered in October 2024, with subsequent deliveries following, including a fourth helicopter transferred to the Gendarmerie in August 2025. Industry reporting in early 2026 stated that at least five production helicopters had been delivered to Turkish security users.
The program’s order book expanded significantly during IDEF 2025, when SSB and TUSAŞ signed a contract for 57 additional T625 Gökbey helicopters powered by the indigenous TEI-TS1400 engine. That batch was reported as scheduled to begin deliveries from 2028.
Reported distribution for the 57-aircraft batch includes:
Air Force Command: 11
Gendarmerie General Command: 14
General Directorate of Security: 15
Land Forces Command: 8
Coast Guard Command: 6
Naval Forces Command: 3
Looking ahead, the Gökbey is also gaining international momentum. In February 2026, TUSAŞ signed an MoU with Saudi Arabia covering the joint production of Gökbey helicopters in the Kingdom, marking the platform’s first major international industrial partnership and potentially paving the way for export orders.
Overall, the Gökbey is evolving from a national development program into a broader symbol of Turkey’s aerospace ambitions, with roles spanning humanitarian, medical, security and future export markets.
T625 Gökbey TUS-H049 ( )
See also |
Turkish Aerospace Industries T625 Gökbey
Air Medical Ambulance Services 
