ANKARA — A US-based company commissioned with developing Turkey’s first indigenous dual-use future regional jet said it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Pratt & Whitney Canada for the production of an engine for its planned the aircraft.
In a written statement TRJet, the umbrella group that will build two Turkish jets based on Dornier 328 and Dornier 628 models, said that the engine work with Pratt & Whitney Canada’s plant at Longueuil, Quebec, would start in 2016.
"That will mark the first step in the Turkish jet program," TRJet said.
It said the Pratt & Whitney Canada’s memorandum partners were are US company Sierra Nevada Corp. (SNC) and its Germany-based subsidiary, 328 Support Services GmbH. TRJet is a subsidiary of SNC.
Turkey has committed to buying 50 TRJet aircraft but SNC says the program may be much bigger.
Earlier this year Turkey's top procurement panel, the Defence Industry Executive Committee, chaired by Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, authorized the procurement agency, the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM), to negotiate the contract with SNC. Talks are ongoing.
The TRJet program envisages the eventual production of four models of the aircraft — a jet (TRJ-328) and a turboprop (TR-328) with 32 seats, and a jet (TRJ-628) and a turboprop (TR-628) with 60 to 70 seats.
SNC foresees a market size of for 500 to 1,000 aircraft for the TRJ-328s alone, and a similar number demand for the TRJ-628.
Turkey acquired intellectual property rights for the Dornier 328 and Dornier 628 from SNC, which later signed a memorandum of understanding with Ankara-based STM, a state-controlled defense technologies company, for joint work on the regional jet program — a program designed to meet Turkey’s civilian and military requirements.
The modernization of the TRJ-328 will be performed by German, US and Turkish engineers. The first five aircraft will be manufactured in Germany for EASA certification purposes. The remaining 45 remainder of the initial 50 and beyond will be produced in Turkey. The TRJ-628 will be completely designed in Turkey "with the DNA from the 628."
Any modifications for different configurations, including military, will be performed in Turkey. The company expects the military and intelligence configurations to be later orders. Those configurations do not change the base aircraft configuration.
Procurement officials say the military versions would be used as for as ambulance aircraft, maritime patrol aircraft, VIP aircraft, and transport aircraft, as well as for intelligence missions.
Email: bbekdil@defensenews.com
Burak Ege Bekdil was the Turkey correspondent for Defense News.
