The acquisition of 32 additional S-70i Black Hawk combat utility helicopters for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) gives the Department of National Defense (DND) no worries as they are assured of spareparts.
Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, signed an international reseller agreement with Asian Aerospace Corporation to become the only Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM)-authorized seller of the helicopter spareparts as well as repair services for the Black Hawk helicopter family products in the Philippines.
The acquisition was a result of the alliance of DND with PZL Mielic of Poland last year.
Felipe Benvegnu, Sikorsky global sustainment director, said, "Sikorsky has partnered with Asian Aerospace to bid on public tenders, leveraging their local expertise to navigate the Philippine procurement processes quickly and efficiently. This will put OEM-approved, high quality parts in the hands of the customers to support their rapidly growing fleet.
"Sikorsky is establishing scalable strategies to support the sustainment needs of the growing fleet, and Asian Aerospace is a key component to that strategy," added Benvegnu.
The Philippine Air Force (PAF), with its current fleet of 15 S-70i Black Hawk helicopters, is set to take delivery of 32 additional aircraft over the next three years, becoming the largest S-70 operator in the world.
In a statement, Asian Aerospace executive vice president Peter Rodriguez said, "We're excited to partner with Sikorsky to deliver authorized parts and high-quality repair services for our Black Hawk customers here in the Philippines."
Rodriguez added that the alliance ensures timely and dedicated support to the largest Black Hawk fleet in the world.
Although Lockheed Martin has no office in the Philippines, the company recently appointed a country manager to serve as the representative for all of Lockheed Martin's programs, products and services, and to ensure that the company is closely aligned with the AFP's mission requirements.
Lockheed Martin is proud of the almost 50 years of partnership with AFP and industry on various capabilities that span air, land, sea and space. It remains fully committed to offering the most advanced capabilities, affordable operating and lifecycle costs, and strategic partnership opportunities to meet AFP's modernization needs.
Built at Lockheed Martin's PZL Mielic facility in Poland, the highly sought after S-70 Black Hawk has earned its standing as the trusted utility aircraft for operators worldwide, featuring unmatched multi-mission versatility and military-grade airworthiness capable of operating in extreme weather conditions, day or night.
Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin Corportion is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 116,000 people worlwide and is principaly engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.
Sikorsky has been providing support in the Philippines for two S-70A Black Hawk aircraft since 1984 and six S-76 aircraft since 1983 in a variety of utility, search and rescue (SAR) and VIP configurations.
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