PAF’s T 129 ‘Atak’ helicopters now ready to greet insurgents, terrorists with its immense firepower

THE Philippine Air Force (PAF) will be literally greeting communist insurgents and terrorist this 2023, as its capability to conduct close-air support has been greatly enhanced with the arrival of two more Turkish-made T-129 “Atak” helicopters, bristling with high-tech and sophisticated weaponry, and effectively increasing to four the number of these rotary-winged aircraft in its inventory.

Armed with a three-barreled 20mm automatic cannon in the chin and a precision-guided launcher (Cirit), which fires a laser-guided 70mm rocket, and certified to be capable of firing air-to-ground and air-to-air missiles, the T-129 is an intimidating aircraft, especially with weapons that could fire in one brutal gigantic crescendo.