TUSAŞ Engine Industries (TEI) has successfully developed over 20 original superalloys and titanium alloys that will eliminate foreign dependency in the production of fighter jet and helicopter engines.
Turkish aerospace and engine manufacturer TUSAŞ Engine Industries Inc. (TEI) has taken an important step towards Turkey’s goal of achieving full independence in the defence industry. The company announced that it has developed more than 20 domestically produced superalloys and titanium alloys for use in fighter jet and helicopter engines.
TEI General Manager Prof. Dr Mahmut Faruk Akşit, speaking at the conference titled “How Do We Develop the Technologies That Develop Engines?” held at Sakarya University of Applied Sciences, emphasised that the company has completed a full production chain extending from raw ore to finished engines, describing this as a “critical milestone” for Turkey’s defence industry.
“Today, we have developed more than 20 original superalloys and titanium alloys, all designed for our own engines. Wars are now won in laboratories and factories; technology determines the fate of battle.”
— Prof. Dr Mahmut Faruk Akşit
Akşit noted that aircraft engines operate under extreme temperatures, stating: “The internal temperature of the engines can reach up to half the temperature of the Sun’s surface. Therefore, the development of cooling systems, coating technologies and special metals is of vital importance.”
From Ore to Engine: A Domestic Production Chain
TEI has succeeded in producing the special metals used in engine manufacturing entirely with domestic resources. The company established Turkey’s first internationally certified material testing laboratory, allowing both alloy production and testing processes to be carried out in-house.
Akşit said, “We now determine the composition of our alloys, melt and cast the metal, and test it ourselves. We have also succeeded in producing single-crystal turbine blades domestically,” adding that Turkey now possesses a fully integrated production chain from ore to engine.
Mass Production of UAV and Helicopter Engines
TEI has begun mass production of engines developed for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). These engines are successfully used in Aksungur, Anka, and TB3 platforms.
On the helicopter side, preparations for the production of the engine developed for the Gökbey project have been completed, and the certification process is ongoing. “We have successfully completed the first flight with Gökbey; once the process is finalised, we will begin serial production,” said Akşit.
TF6000: Turkey’s First Fighter Jet Engine
Akşit stated that Turkey’s first fighter jet engine, the TF6000, has been successfully developed and is currently undergoing testing. “A fifth-generation aircraft engine is a complex system, but we are very close to achieving this,” he said.
Global Interest and Technology Transfer
Akşit highlighted that Turkey’s progress in engine technologies has drawn the attention of developed countries. “Representatives from a country that produces gas turbines but has not yet developed an aircraft engine came to see what we have accomplished in just 10 years,” he said.
Finally, Akşit emphasised that Turkey has achieved self-sufficiency in engine technologies:
“We now manage the entire process domestically, from ore to engine. This success belongs not only to TEI, but to Turkish engineering as a whole.”
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