BY AARON RECUENCO
Six Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopters have been added to the fleet of the Philippine Air Force after their delivery more than a year after the contract for the procurement from Poland was signed.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the six Black Hawks which were presented at Clark Airbase in Pampanga last Thursday are the initial batch of the sixteen choppers bought by the Philippines.
“This is the newest helicopter, the S-70i which is big. We are acquiring 16 of those Black Hawk helicopters and they are not second-hand, they are all brand new. The remaining 10 Black Hawks will be delivered early next year,” said Lorenzana.
Lorenzana narrated that the Philippine government was originally to procure Bell helicopters from Canada but the contract was cancelled in 2018 over concerns of human rights violations, particularly over concerns that the choppers would be used against Filipino insurgents.
As a result, the Department of National Defense (DND) had to rush to come up with a purchase agreement as the fund intended for them would be returned to the National Treasury.
“The cancellation of that contract brought us back to square one. We have to start with the procurement process again and we were racing against time before we lose the money to other projects. Today, I feel the exact opposite. I’m so happy and proud to have with our possession six of the 16 units of S70i Black Hawk helicopters,” said Lorenzana.
The Black Hawks were manufactured by Sikorskky’s Poland-based subsidiary PZL Mielec. He said the new choppers would greatly help the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) since it can now provide prompt and sustained tactical lift even during nighttime.
“These brand new combat utility helicopters will be used for missions such as transport of cargoes and personnel, medical evacuation, casualty evacuation, aerial reconnaissance, disaster relief operations, troop insertion and extrication, combat resupply, combat search and rescue, and limited close air support,” said Lorenzana.
The official said he is now talking to the leadership of the PAF for the purchase of 16 more choppers, specifically Black Hawks.
“We still have funds remaining for the procurement of helicopters from other companies,” said Lorenzana.
