Somalia has taken delivery of three T-129 attack helicopters from Turkey as part of growing Turkish support for the East African country’s military.
The delivery included two utility helicopters for the Somali Navy as part of a defense agreement the two nations signed in February 2024, which allowed Turkey to establish a naval presence in Mogadishu. Turkey reportedly had been training Somali pilots to operate the T-129s for about a year. Soon after arriving in Somalia, the T-129s apparently were used to strike al-Shabaab targets, giving the Somali military precision attack capability. The aircraft have been seen flying over Mogadishu and other areas of the country.
The T-129 Atak is based on the Italian Agusta A129 Mangusta but features Turkish-developed avionics, mission software and weapons systems. The T-129 is powered by two turboshaft engines specifically designed for helicopters. It is equipped with a 20 mm three-barrel rotary cannon. It can carry weapons such as anti-tank missiles and 70 mm laser-guided missiles.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud that Turkey’s counterterrorism support to Somalia would be expanded, according to a statement. Al-Shabaab continues to launch attacks against civilian and government targets.
As of mid-2025, Turkey had about 500 troops in Somalia to support the Somali military. Several Turkish Bayraktar TB2 and Akinci aerial drones are used to support Somali and Turkish forces. At least two Akinci drones were delivered in March 2025. TB2s have been in service with the Somali National Army since 2022 and been used against al-Shabaab.
Turkey continues to strengthen its role in Somalia, signing an energy exploration agreement with the country. It has trained thousands of Somali troops and aims to train a third of the country’s military forces.