During TEKNOFEST 2025, held in Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), TUSAŞ’s T129 ATAK attack helicopter was exhibited with an under-wing RF jammer pod for the first time.
T129 ATAK’s current configuration using small RF jammers as a part of its integrated electronic warfare suite has received a much larger jammer in the form of a pod that has a higher performance than self-defence dedicated jammers.
No information regarding the pod’s capabilities outside its operating band is available. However, it can be inferred that the pod with its higher output will have a longer range and capability to jam stronger emitters like searching radars. In terms of size, it is comparable to ASELSAN’s ANTIDOT 2-U pod intended for UCAVs.
An attack helicopter with a jamming pod can be more potent in SEAD/DEAD missions, in which encounters with short-range air defence systems are more than likely. A more powerful RF jammer not only means better self-protection but also non-kinetically damaging the enemy’s radar-based target acquisition, which can be complemented by upcoming extended-range missiles like ROKETSAN’s UMTAS-GM missile expected to be seen onboard T129 ATAK.
Author: Kaan Azman
Editor: Özgür Ekşi
