Turkish Army Aviation

Order of Battle · Turkey

Turkish Army Aviation

Kara Havacılık Komutanlığı

Turkish Army Aviation, the Kara Havacılık Komutanlığı of the Turkish Land Forces, grew from artillery spotting aircraft in 1948 into one of NATO’s largest army helicopter forces, flying Black Hawks, Cougars, Hueys, Chinooks and the Turkish-built T129 ATAK against the PKK in Turkey, Iraq and Syria — and in 2016 lent its own helicopters to a coup attempt against the state.

0Combat aircraft
5Active air bases
1948Founded
1Types retired
Photo: CeeGee / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
CountryTurkeyFounded1948StatusActiveHeadquartersAnkaraCommanderZeynel Abidin Erginbaş
The story

The Turkish Army Aviation story: artillery spotters, a helicopter army, the PKK war and the night of 15 July

1948–1968: artillery spotters become an aviation command

The Turkish army learned to fly again after the air force left it. Ottoman and early Republican military aviation had been the army’s, but that lineage passed to the independent Turkish Air Force. English Wikipedia says today’s Army Aviation Command was established in 1948 as “artillery aviation” within the Land Forces’ artillery school, flying light aircraft to direct gunfire; its infobox dates the command itself to 1957, and the sources checked do not settle which date the army treats as its founding. From 1968, Wikipedia says, rotary-wing aircraft were transferred from the air force’s inventory, and the command’s task became what it remains: air support, reconnaissance and transport for the troops on the ground. Which fixed-wing types flew in the early years was not confirmed for this page.

Hueys, Cobras and Black Hawks: the helicopter army

The Army Aviation Command grew into a very large helicopter force. English Wikipedia’s undated inventory lists more than 500 helicopters, among them about 106 S-70A and UH-60 Black Hawks, 48 AS532 Cougars, well over 200 UH-1H, AB-204 and AB-205 Hueys and their Turkish upgrades, 25 AB-206 JetRangers and 23 AH-1P Cobras; these figures could not be checked against an official source. Wikipedia lists the command among the Turkish units that took part in the 1974 Cyprus operation, without detail. In the 1990s the army bought 13 AH-1W SuperCobras for operations against the PKK, SavunmaSanayiST recalled in 2022; three were lost. Turkish Black Hawks also flew with NATO in Afghanistan and the Balkans, according to Wikipedia.

The PKK war and the ATAK

The PKK insurgency, fought since 1984, shaped the command more than any other war; the SuperCobras were bought for it, and so, in the end, was a Turkish attack helicopter. On 7 September 2007 Turkey signed a $1.2 billion contract with AgustaWestland for the T129 ATAK, to be built with Turkish Aerospace. It first flew in Italy on 28 September 2009; the first nine were handed over on 22 April 2014, and English Wikipedia records its first combat on 25 April 2015 in Siirt province. By 2023, 58 had been delivered to the Land Forces. Losses were real: the deadliest accident of recent years killed Lieutenant General Osman Erbaş and ten others in a Cougar in Bitlis on 4 March 2021.

15 July 2016: Güvercinlik and the coup attempt

On the evening of 15 July 2016 the commander of the Land Forces, General Salih Zeki Çolak, inspected the Army Aviation School at Güvercinlik, 14 kilometres from his headquarters in Ankara. According to the indictment summarised by Hürriyet’s Sedat Ergin, ammunition was being loaded into three Cobras and an ATAK on the apron and two Sikorskys were being rigged for troops, and he noticed nothing amiss. Hours later the school’s commander, General Hakan Atınç, was handcuffed by his own officers. Ergin wrote that the plotters’ command post used helicopters from Güvercinlik against police special operations units, and English Wikipedia records helicopter attacks on the special forces headquarters at Gölbaşı and on parliament; a Black Hawk carried eight servicemen to Greece. Turkey blames the movement of Fethullah Gülen, which denies involvement. Within two weeks the government announced that the school would leave Ankara; it is now in Isparta.

Syria and Iraq: Afrin, the Claw operations and the drones

The command’s helicopters and drones went into Syria and Iraq with the army. On 10 February 2018, during Operation Olive Branch against the YPG in Afrin, a T129 was lost with both crew. President Erdoğan said it had been shot down; the Prime Minister first said only that it had crashed, and the General Staff gave no cause. The SDF and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also said it was shot down. Turkey regards the YPG as part of the PKK; the YPG and its US partners rejected that. In Iraq, English Wikipedia records ATAKs striking PKK targets in August 2019 during Operation Claw and helicopters setting troops on Karachal mountain; Iraq’s foreign ministry summoned the Turkish envoy in April 2020. The Land Forces’ TB2 S5, accepted in 2014, flew in Euphrates Shield, Olive Branch, Peace Spring, Spring Shield and the Claw operations before retiring in 2024.

2022–2026: Cobras to the navy, T-70s, Gökbeys and TB3s

The fleet is changing hands and makers. In early 2022 the ten surviving AH-1W SuperCobras went to the navy for TCG Anadolu. The 2014 contract for 109 T-70 Black Hawks allots 20 to the army, and the defence ministry announced T-70 acceptances by the Land Forces in July 2025. The army is also the owner of the Bayraktar TB3 shipborne drone, accepted in September 2025 and again in July 2026, and on 30 April 2026 it received its first T625 Gökbey utility helicopter, with 15 more planned. The heavier T929 ATAK-2 first flew in 2023; Turkish Aerospace promised three to the army for 2025-2026, but no delivery was confirmed. The PKK announced its dissolution on 12 May 2025, which may change what the helicopters are for.

The Army Aviation Command grew into a very large helicopter force.Turkish Army Aviation · verified 2026-10-01

At a glance

The Turkish Army Aviation in numbers

Service

Native name
Kara Havacılık KomutanlığıArmy Aviation Command. English Wikipedia’s infobox gives the literal “Land Aviation Command”. The Land Forces’ website could not be read for this page
Founded
1948–1957Wikipedia’s text dates the start to 1948 as artillery aviation; its infobox gives 1957 for the command. Helicopters arrived from the air force from 1968. Ottoman army flying from 1912 is the lineage of the Turkish Air Force
Part of
Turkish Land ForcesCommander of the Land Forces in September 2024: General Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu
Headquarters
AnkaraPer English Wikipedia. The Army Aviation School left Güvercinlik in Ankara after the 2016 coup attempt and is now in Isparta
Commander
Brig. Gen. Zeynel Abidin ErginbaşNamed by English Wikipedia; in post since about 2023
English name
Turkish Army Aviation CommandEnglish Wikipedia’s article, reached under both Turkish_Army_Aviation and Turkish_Army_Aviation_Command; the planned slug turkish-army-aviation is kept

Strength

Attack helicopters
  • T129 ATAK — 54–58
  • AH-1P Cobra — 23 (undated)

English Wikipedia’s T129 article gives 58 delivered to the Land Forces by 2023, its army aviation article 54. The AH-1Ws went to the navy in 2022

Utility and transport helicopters
  • S-70A / UH-60 Black Hawk — 106
  • AS532UL Cougar — 48
  • UH-1H, AB-204, AB-205 — over 200
  • AB-206 JetRanger — 25
  • CH-47F Chinook — 11

Undated table in English Wikipedia; not checked against an official source

New types 2025–2026
  • T-70 Black Hawk — from July 2025 (20 allotted)
  • T625 Gökbey — first on 30 April 2026
  • Bayraktar TB3 — from September 2025

Numbers not published by the defence ministry

Drones
TB2 since 2014The Land Forces’ TB2 S5, accepted in 2014, was the first Turkish drone to reach its design life; Wikipedia’s table also lists 12 tactical Bayraktars and 164 Bayraktar Mini drones

Infrastructure

Regiments and commands
  • 1st Army Aviation Regiment — Güvercinlik, Ankara
  • 2nd Regiment — Erhaç, Malatya
  • 3rd Regiment — Gaziemir, İzmir
  • 4th Regiment — Samandıra, Istanbul
  • 7th Army Aviation Group — Diyarbakır
  • Training and Exercise Command — Bodrum-İmsık
  • UAV Systems Brigade — Kahramankazan, Ankara

As listed by English Wikipedia; unit-to-base dispositions are not published by the Land Forces in sources reached for this page

Training
Army Aviation School, IspartaMoved out of Ankara after the 2016 coup attempt; two of its UH-1s collided in training near Keçiborlu on 9 December 2024

Structure

How the Turkish Army Aviation is organised

The Turkish Land Forces’ air arm, the Army Aviation Command, has four regiments, an aviation group at Diyarbakır, a school at Isparta and a drone brigade near Ankara. English Wikipedia’s undated table lists more than 500 helicopters, from the Turkish-built T129 ATAK and about 106 Black Hawks to more than 200 Hueys and 11 Chinooks, and new T-70s, Gökbeys and TB3 drones arrived in 2025–2026. The figures have not been checked against an official source.

ZA

Brigadier General (tuğgeneral)Zeynel Abidin ErginbaşCommander of Army Aviation (Kara Havacılık Komutanı) · in office since 2023
Army Aviation CommandKara Havacılık Komutanlığı
Headquarters

Army Aviation Command

Kara Havacılık Komutanlığı
Ankara

The air arm of the Turkish Land Forces, headquartered in Ankara. English Wikipedia names Brigadier General Zeynel Abidin Erginbaş as commander, in post since about 2023; his predecessors include Major General Hakan Atınç, handcuffed by his own officers on the night of the 2016 coup attempt.

Regiments

1st to 4th Army Aviation Regiments and 7th Army Aviation Group

Kara Havacılık Alayları
Güvercinlik, Erhaç, Gaziemir, Samandıra, Diyarbakır

English Wikipedia lists the 1st Regiment at Güvercinlik in Ankara, the 2nd at Erhaç in Malatya (with T129s from 2014), the 3rd at Gaziemir in İzmir, the 4th at Samandıra in Istanbul and the 7th Army Aviation Group at Diyarbakır. Their aircraft are not published by unit.

Attack

T129 ATAK and Cobra force

Various

58 T129 ATAKs had been delivered by 2023, per English Wikipedia; one was lost over Afrin on 10 February 2018. Wikipedia’s undated table also lists 23 AH-1P Cobras. The ten surviving AH-1W SuperCobras went to the navy in 2022.

Utility and transport

Black Hawks, Cougars, Hueys and Chinooks

Various

The bulk of the fleet in English Wikipedia’s undated table: about 106 S-70A Black Hawks, 48 AS532 Cougars, more than 200 UH-1H, AB-204 and AB-205 Hueys and 11 CH-47F Chinooks, the first delivered on 14 July 2016. T-70 Black Hawks were accepted from July 2025 and the first T625 Gökbey on 30 April 2026.

Training

Army Aviation School Command

Kara Havacılık Okulu Komutanlığı
Isparta

The army’s helicopter school, at Güvercinlik until the 2016 coup attempt and at Isparta by 2024; English Wikipedia also lists a Training and Exercise Command at Bodrum-İmsık.

Drones

UAV Systems Brigade

Kahramankazan

English Wikipedia lists the brigade at Kahramankazan near Ankara. The Land Forces have flown Bayraktar TB2s since 2014 and accepted the shipborne TB3 from September 2025; the TB3s fly from the navy’s TCG Anadolu.


In service

What the Turkish Army Aviation flies today

Every type on charge, linked to its Book of Beasts page where one exists. Counts are aircraft on the books, not aircraft available on a given day.

Type Role In service Since Units Notes
TUSAŞ / AgustaWestland T129 ATAKIn service Attack and reconnaissance helicopter 58 2014 58 delivered to the Land Forces by 2023, with 35 more on option (Wikipedia’s T129 article); the army aviation article’s table gives 54. One lost in Syria on 10 February 2018.
Sikorsky S-70A-28D / UH-60 Black HawkIn service Utility helicopter 106 106 in English Wikipedia’s undated table.
TUSAŞ / Sikorsky T-70 Black HawkIn service Utility helicopter 2025 20 allotted to the army in the 109-helicopter contract; acceptances announced in July 2025 without a number. Wikipedia’s table gives 22.
Eurocopter AS532UL CougarIn service Utility helicopter 48 48 in English Wikipedia’s undated table.
Boeing CH-47F ChinookIn service Heavy-lift helicopter 11 2016 Six in the first contract and five planned for 2018 (four for special forces, one for the defence ministry), per Doğan News Agency in 2016; English Wikipedia’s Land Forces article mentions fourteen.
Bell UH-1H and Agusta-Bell AB-204 / AB-205In service Utility helicopter 1968 English Wikipedia’s undated table: 85 UH-1H, 52 upgraded UH-1H (2020 / ASAM), 69 AB-205A1 and 15 AB-204, more than 200 in all.
Agusta-Bell AB-206B3 JetRangerIn service Light helicopter 25 English Wikipedia’s undated table.
Bell AH-1P CobraIn service Attack helicopter 23 English Wikipedia’s undated table; whether all are still flying was not confirmed.
Bell OH-58B KiowaIn service Observation helicopter 3 English Wikipedia’s undated table.
TUSAŞ T625 GökbeyIn service Utility helicopter 1 2026 First delivered on 30 April 2026; a second was planned for June 2026 and 15 more for the Land Forces.
Baykar Bayraktar TB2In service Armed reconnaissance drone 2014 English Wikipedia’s table lists 12 tactical Bayraktars.
Baykar Bayraktar TB3In service Shipborne armed drone 2025 Accepted “in various quantities” in September 2025 and July 2026.
S-70A106
T12958
AS532 Cougar48
AB-20625
AH-1P23
CH-47F11
OH-58B3
T625 Gökbey1

On order

Type Ordered First delivery Notes
TUSAŞ T625 GökbeyOn order 15 2026 15 more for the Land Forces after the first of 30 April 2026, per SavunmaSanayiST; a second was planned for June 2026.
TUSAŞ / Sikorsky T-70 Black HawkOn order 20 2025 The army’s share of the 109 T-70s contracted on 21 February 2014; deliveries began by July 2025, numbers not published.
TUSAŞ T929 ATAK-2On order 3 Turkish Aerospace’s Mehmet Demiroğlu said in May 2023 that three would go to the Land Forces in 2025-2026. No delivery was confirmed in the sources checked.

Formerly operated

Every type the Turkish Army Aviation has retired

1 types, from the Bell AH-1W SuperCobra to the Bell AH-1W SuperCobra. Peak figures are airframes taken on charge over the whole service life, not fleet strength on any one date.

Type Role Peak Served Replaced by Notes
Bell AH-1W SuperCobra Attack helicopter 13 T129 ATAK 13 bought; three lost in operations; ten transferred to the navy.

Air bases

Where Turkish Army Aviation flies from

Black pins are active bases, hollow pins the airfields that have closed. Güvercinlik in Ankara, home of the 1st Army Aviation Regiment and until 2016 of the Army Aviation School, is the command’s best-known airfield; regiments also fly from Erhaç, an air force jet base, from Gaziemir near İzmir and from Samandıra in Istanbul. The Army Aviation School has been at Isparta since it left Ankara; its airfield was not identified, so it carries no pin.

Active air base Closed or reserveClick a pin to open the base page
Base ICAO Status Runway Units and aircraft
Army Aviation School, IspartaIsparta Province Active
  • Army Aviation School Command (Kara Havacılık Okulu Komutanlığı): UH-1
ErhaçMalatyaMalatya Province LTAT Active 03/213,350 m
  • 2nd Army Aviation Regiment (2. Kara Havacılık Alayı): T129 ATAK
Güvercinlik ArmyAnkara Province LTAB Active
  • 1st Army Aviation Regiment (1. Kara Havacılık Alayı): Helicopters (types not specified by the source)
  • Army Aviation School Command (Kara Havacılık Okulu Komutanlığı): AH-1 Cobra, T129 ATAK, Sikorsky helicopters
Gaziemir Armyİzmir Province LTBK Active
  • 3rd Army Aviation Regiment (3. Kara Havacılık Alayı): Helicopters and drones (types not specified by the source)
Samandıra ArmyIstanbul Province LTBX Active
  • 4th Army Aviation Regiment (4. Kara Havacılık Alayı): Helicopters (types not specified by the source)

No air base matches that search.


Order of battle

Who is stationed where in the Turkish Army Aviation

Flying units by base, current units first. The command’s units are numbered regiments, listed by English Wikipedia at Güvercinlik, Erhaç, Gaziemir and Samandıra; the Land Forces publish no unit-to-aircraft list. Where a row rests on English Wikipedia or on press reports alone, the entry says so, and types are not assigned to regiments where the sources do not do it.

Güvercinlik Army Air Base · LTABArmy Aviation Command
1st Army Aviation Regiment (1. Kara Havacılık Alayı)Army aviation regiment · active
Helicopters (types not specified by the source)
Army Aviation School Command (Kara Havacılık Okulu Komutanlığı)
AH-1 Cobra, T129 ATAK, Sikorsky helicopters
Erhaç (Malatya) · LTAT7th Main Jet Base Command, Turkish Air Force; 2nd Army Aviation Regiment
2nd Army Aviation Regiment (2. Kara Havacılık Alayı)Army aviation regiment · active
T129 ATAK
Gaziemir Army · LTBK3rd Army Aviation Regiment, Turkish Land Forces
3rd Army Aviation Regiment (3. Kara Havacılık Alayı)Army aviation regiment · active
Helicopters and drones (types not specified by the source)
Samandıra Army · LTBX4th Army Aviation Regiment, Turkish Land Forces
4th Army Aviation Regiment (4. Kara Havacılık Alayı)Army aviation regiment · active
Helicopters (types not specified by the source)
Army Aviation School, Isparta · Army Aviation School Command, Turkish Land Forces
Army Aviation School Command (Kara Havacılık Okulu Komutanlığı)Helicopter training school · active
UH-1

No unit matches that search.


Timeline

Turkish Army Aviation milestones, 1914 to today

1948

Army aviation begins as artillery aviation in the Land Forces’ artillery school, according to English Wikipedia.

1957

The year English Wikipedia’s infobox gives for the founding of the command.

1968

Helicopters begin to transfer from the air force’s inventory.

1974

July and August: the command takes part in the Cyprus operation, per English Wikipedia; no details confirmed.

1990s

13 AH-1W SuperCobras bought for operations against the PKK.

2007

7 September: $1.2 billion T129 ATAK contract signed with AgustaWestland.

2011

21 April: Sikorsky selected for the T-70. The CH-47F contract of about $400 million is signed.

2014

21 February: contract for 109 T-70s. 22 April: first nine T129s handed over. The Land Forces accept their first TB2s.

2015

25 April: the T129’s first combat, in Siirt province.

2016

14 July: first CH-47F delivered. 15–16 July: helicopters from Güvercinlik used in the coup attempt. 29 July: the government says the Army Aviation School will leave Ankara.

2018

10 February: a T129 is lost with both crew over Afrin during Operation Olive Branch.

2019

August: ATAKs strike PKK targets in northern Iraq during Operation Claw.

2021

4 March: a Cougar crashes in Bitlis, killing Lt Gen. Osman Erbaş and ten others.

2022

By 5 April: the ten AH-1Ws go to the navy. 4 September: a Sikorsky crash-lands in the Claw-Lock zone, killing one.

2024

September: TB2 S5 retired after 10,000 hours. 9 December: two school UH-1s collide near Isparta, six killed.

2025

10 July: T-70s accepted. 4 September: TB3s accepted.

2026

21 April: a CH-47 crash-lands near Temelli, no injuries. 30 April: first T625 Gökbey. July: more TB3s accepted.


Combat record

Every war and operation Turkish Army Aviation has flown in

Sorties and losses where the record gives them, and an honest blank where it does not.

6conflicts
1974First
1Aircraft lost
3Killed
  • The Turkish intervention in Cyprus 1974 Not detailed in the sources checked
  • The conflict with the PKK 1984–2025 Troop lift, supply, medical evacuation and fire support by helicopters; from 2014 armed drones
  • The coup attempt of 15 July 2016 2016 Plotters used army helicopters from Güvercinlik against state targets and to move troops and ammunition
  • Operations in Syria 2016–2020 Attack helicopters and TB2 drones supporting Turkish and allied Syrian ground forces
  • The Claw operations in northern Iraq 2019– Attack helicopter strikes, troop lift onto mountain positions, supply and evacuation

Open the full combat record


The manufacturers

Who built the Turkish Army Aviation fleet

Every company behind the aircraft on this page has its own page: the story, every type it built, the numbers and the other air forces that fly them.


Questions & Answers

Everything people ask about the Turkish Army Aviation

What is Turkish Army Aviation called in Turkish?
Kara Havacılık Komutanlığı, the Army Aviation Command of the Turkish Land Forces. English Wikipedia’s article, titled Turkish Army Aviation Command, renders it literally as “Land Aviation Command”. The Land Forces’ website could not be read for this page.
What helicopters does the Turkish Army fly?
Mostly American and Turkish types: the T129 ATAK attack helicopter (58 delivered by 2023), about 106 S-70A Black Hawks and new T-70s, 48 Cougars, more than 200 Hueys of several versions, 11 CH-47F Chinooks and AH-1P Cobras, per English Wikipedia’s undated table. The first T625 Gökbey arrived on 30 April 2026.
When was Turkish Army Aviation founded?
English Wikipedia says it began in 1948 as artillery aviation in the Land Forces’ artillery school, while its infobox gives 1957 for the command; helicopters came from the air force from 1968. Earlier Ottoman and Republican army flying is the lineage of the Turkish Air Force.
Was a T129 shot down in Syria?
A T129 was lost with both crew over Afrin on 10 February 2018 during Operation Olive Branch. President Erdoğan said it was shot down; the Prime Minister said it had crashed for reasons not yet clear, and the General Staff gave no cause. The SDF and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it was shot down.
What role did army helicopters play in the 2016 coup attempt?
According to the prosecution, plotters at the Army Aviation School at Güvercinlik armed Cobras and an ATAK and used helicopters to move putschists and ammunition; English Wikipedia says helicopters attacked the police special forces headquarters at Gölbaşı and fired on parliament, and a Black Hawk flew eight servicemen to Greece. The school’s commander was handcuffed by his own officers. Turkey blames the Gülen movement, which denies involvement.
Why did the Turkish Army give its SuperCobras to the navy?
The navy needed attack helicopters for its new amphibious assault ship, TCG Anadolu, and the army had the T129 ATAK. The ten surviving AH-1Ws of 13 bought in the 1990s were handed over by 5 April 2022.
Does the Turkish Army fly drones?
Yes. The Land Forces accepted Bayraktar TB2s from 2014; one, S5, was retired in 2024 after 10,000 hours in Syria and Iraq. The army is also the owner of the TB3, accepted in September 2025, which flies from the navy’s TCG Anadolu. English Wikipedia lists a UAV Systems Brigade at Kahramankazan near Ankara.
What was the worst Turkish Army helicopter crash?
Among recent ones, the Cougar crash in Bitlis on 4 March 2021 killed 11, including Lieutenant General Osman Erbaş, commander of 8th Corps; Hürriyet Daily News called it the deadliest since a crash in Şırnak in 2017 that killed 13 soldiers. On 9 December 2024 two school UH-1s collided near Isparta, killing six.
Where is Turkish Army Aviation based?
English Wikipedia lists regiments at Güvercinlik (Ankara), Erhaç (Malatya), Gaziemir (İzmir) and Samandıra (Istanbul), an aviation group at Diyarbakır, a training and exercise command at Bodrum-İmsık and a drone brigade at Kahramankazan. The Army Aviation School has been at Isparta since it left Ankara after 2016.



Sources & Further Reading

Every fact, checked

Figures verified 2026-10-01. Order of Battle pages are regenerated from a single dataset; if a number here disagrees with a Book of Beasts page, this page is the more recent of the two.

Photographs: Photo: CeeGee / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: StVeit Maps / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Balon Greyjoy / Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · Photo: Alan Wilson / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: Markus Gattringer / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Photo: Communication Specialist Seaman Mark Hays / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)