Authorities say the five brand-new Sikorsky uh-70i Black Hawk combat utility helicopters will not just aid the country’s fight against insurgency but also during calamities.
THE Philippines has finally received another five brand-new Sikorsky uh-70i Black Hawk combat utility helicopters which will be added to the initial six units that were already delivered back in November 2020.
The shipment on Monday was part of the 16 units ordered by the country from PZL Mielec, a Polish company, which manufactured the aircraft under license from Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation in the United States.
Currently, the Philippine Air Force (PAF) has a total of 11 Black Hawks and is expecting the final batch of the P11 billion project to be delivered before the year ends.
Authorities say the new helicopters will not just aid the country’s fight against insurgency but also during calamities.
"With the latest delivery, the PAF now has 11 Black Hawk utility helicopters.
Meanwhile, the third batch of five helicopters will be delivered before the end of 2021," said Lt. Col. Maynard Mariano, PAF spokesperson.
"The recent arrival of the five Black Hawks will further boost the heli-lift capability of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and will help the government deliver more services in more areas in less time. In the past few months, the Black Hawks transported vaccines and PPE (personal protective equipment) sets to the remotest areas of Batanes, Bicol, and other parts of the country”.
The project was procured using a government-to-government transaction with Poland in 2019 after President Rodrigo Duterte cancelled initial orders made in 2018 with US and Canada for imposing certain conditions with regards to human rights issues in the country.
Better deal
Initially, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana revealed his disappointment on the termination of the $234 million contract with the Canadian government for the intended purchase of 16 Bell 412 helicopters, but he later on said the deal with Poland is much better.
In terms of operational capabilities, Lorenza said the Black Hawk helicopters were far more powerful and advantageous that is worth the money.
“Since their acquisition, our Blackhawk S-70is have greatly boosted the operational readiness of the PAF in both combat and non-combat missions. Their larger capacity and impressive horsepower allows for a faster and long-range transport.” Lorenzana said on his Facebook page.
The cabinet secretary also hopes to forge a closer and stronger bilateral relation with the European country because of this deal.
The Black Hawks will soon replace the Philippines’ aging fleet of Bell UH-1 Iroquois, which are Vietnam War era helicopters.
The purchase is still part of the AFP’s broader modernization program which aims to upgrade the military assets of the country to better carry out its duties and be at par with neighboring countries who have already advance so far. (JT)
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