Türkiye begins utilizing homegrown military engines on land, air, naval platforms

​​​​​​​By Goksel Yildirim and Emir Yildirim

Türkiye has begun integrating domestically developed engines in its land, air, sea and missile systems, marking a significant step toward the goal of self-sufficiency in the defense industry.

The initiative is part of a broader strategy led by the Defense Industry Agency (SSB) to eliminate foreign dependence on key subsystems such as engines for national platforms.

Defense Industries Secretariat head Haluk Gorgun told Anadolu that Turkish defense firm BMC Power’s indigenous TUNA engine has been integrated into the company’s homegrown Vuran and Kirpi vehicles used by the Turkish Armed Forces, while the integration testing for BMC’s Azra Gen-2, developed for tank transporters and logistics vehicles, is ongoing.

Next-generation tracked vehicles will be powered by the Utku engine, specifically developed for the Altay tank.

In the aerospace sector, Baykar’s Bayraktar TB3 UAV is equipped with the PD200 engine produced by TAI Engine Industries (TEI). TEI’s PD170 engine powers the Anka and Aksungur UAVs, while the PG50 engine has been integrated into the Kargı UAV, enhancing Türkiye’s independent drone capabilities.

Certification tests for the homegrown TS1400 turboshaft engine to be installed into the Gokbey helicopter are underway, while its mass production is already in progress.

In the missile systems domain, Kale Arge has developed several indigenous jet engines for Roketsan’s Atmaca missile and Turkish Scientific and Technological Research Institution (TUBITAK) SAGE’s SOM missile, the KTJ-1750 for Roketsan’s Cakir cruise missile and the KTJ-3700 engine for Roketsan’s Kara Atmaca surface-to-surface missile.

For naval platforms, BMC Power’s homegrown Levend engine is now powering the TCB Marlin SIDA unmanned combat surface vessel (UCSV), while the Marin X7 is integrated into the ULAQ SIDA UCSV. The Mavi Batu engine, developed for vessels under the National Ship Project (MILGEM), is currently undergoing testing.

Türkiye’s jet engines are also being powered by indigenous engines, such as the TF6000 turbofan engine developed for TAI’s Anka-III unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), while the development of the TF-10000 to power Baykar’s Bayraktar Kizilelma UCAV continues.