The T625 GÖKBEY is a multi-purpose helicopter developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) for the Turkish Armed Forces, as part of the Turkish Original Helicopter Programme.
The helicopter is designed according to the aviation standards set by the European Aviation Safety Authority and the Turkish General Directorate of Civil Aviation.
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The first T625 GÖKBEY utility helicopter was delivered in October 2024, with a second aircraft handed over to the Gendarmerie in December 2024. A third delivery followed in January 2025, and the fourth aircraft was transferred to the General Command of the Gendarmerie in August 2025.
During the International Defence Industry Fair in July 2025, the Presidency of Defence Industries and Turkish Aerospace signed an agreement covering the production of 57 T625 GÖKBEY general utility helicopters.
The deal specifies that all 57 aircraft will be delivered with the domestically developed TEI TS1400 turboshaft engine. Deliveries in this configuration are scheduled to begin in 2028 and conclude by 2031, taking the overall GÖKBEY order book to 83 helicopters. Each aircraft will be delivered with mission equipment selected by the respective end user.
Under the allocation agreed by the two parties, three helicopters are set for the Naval Forces Command, 15 for the General Directorate of Security, 11 for the Air Force Command, 14 for the Gendarmerie General Command, eight for the Land Forces Command and six for the Coast Guard Command.
Serial production is also ongoing, and more than 20 helicopters are expected to be delivered to a range of institutions by 2026.
Development background
The Turkish Undersecretariat for Defense Industries signed a contract with TAI in September 2013 to develop an indigenous light multi-mission helicopter to meet the general-purpose helicopter requirements of the Turkish Armed Forces and civilian authorities.
A prototype was unveiled at the International Defence Industry Fair held in May 2017.
The T625 made its first flight in September 2018 and was officially given the name GÖKBEY by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in December 2018.
On 19 April 2023, it carried out its first flight sortie using the domestically developed TEI TS1400 turboshaft engines. It made its first international flight demonstration in July 2024 at the Farnborough International Airshow in the UK.
In February 2025, the aircraft was deployed to Sweden to undergo mandatory trials as part of its ongoing civil and military certification programme. Low-altitude cold weather testing took place in the Kiruna area.
The campaign included ground-based trials to assess the performance of the aircraft’s environmental control systems. Separate evaluations covering the propulsion system, rotor and hydraulics were completed successfully.
T625 GOKBEY design and technical specifications
The T625 GÖKBEY multi-purpose helicopter measures 15.87m long and has a maximum take-off weight of 6,050kg. It is equipped with a 13.2m-long, five-blade main rotor and a four-blade tail rotor, designed to improve aerodynamic performance.
The helicopter is operated by a crew of two and can accommodate up to 12 passengers in its spacious cabin, which can be configured to meet a wide range of mission needs. Its baggage compartment volume is 1.1m3.
A full icing protection system is installed to allow for safe operation of the helicopter in icing conditions.
Outfitted with retractable type landing gears, the helicopter can make a safe landing on uneven terrain conditions.
Cockpit and avionics
The T625 GÖKBEY helicopter comes with a full glass cockpit system, which is optimised to offer superior comfort and high visibility for the crew.
The cockpit is equipped with Aselsan avionics, including two wide touchscreen-integrated mission displays with a screen size of 8in x 20in, two 8in x 10in data entry touch command control units, airborne radios, an inertial navigation system and a thermal imaging system.
It also incorporates a state-of-the-art, four-axis, dual redundant automatic flight control system to improve helicopter stability and handling, while reducing the pilot workload.
Propulsion and performance
Power for the T625 GÖKBEY comes from a pair of LHTEC CTS800-4AT turboshaft engines rated at 1,024kW each.
The helicopter has a maximum cruising speed of 297km/h and a service ceiling of 6,069m. With a 1,020kg standard fuel tank, the helicopter has a range of more than 740km and can endure for up to three hours and 48 minutes.
The addition of a 280kg external fuel tank increases the helicopter’s endurance from 3.8 hours to five hours and its range to 948km.
The helicopter can withstand adverse climatic, high-altitude and high-temperature conditions both during the day and at night. Designed to meet the Category-A standard, the T625 GÖKBEY can operate safely in the event of the failure of one engine.
It is also capable of performing instrument flight rules and visual flight rules single-pilot operations.
T625 GOKBEY mission capabilities
The T625 GÖKBEY, as a multi-role helicopter, has the flexibility to support military missions alongside a wide range of civil and public service operations. Its potential roles aside from military operations include passenger transport, cargo and firefighting duties.
The helicopter can also be deployed for search and rescue tasks, offshore operations, air ambulance services and VIP transport.
Contractors involved with the Turkish helicopter programme
Spanish company CESA was contracted by TAI to design, develop, qualify and produce the hydraulic power system, comprising two independent systems, for the T625 helicopter. The systems will be used to supply flow and pressure to the landing gear, as well as the flight-control servo actuators.
Quantum3D, a provider of simulation and training services based in the US, won a contract from TAI in May 2017 to provide image generation technology for the helicopter’s flight simulator.
The Light Helicopter Turbine Engine Company, a partnership between Honeywell International and Rolls-Royce, was responsible for supplying CTS800 engines for the T625 prototype.
