By Francis Wakefield
A military official said Monday that the UH-1 Huey aircraft spare parts and maintenance equipment to be donated by the Japanese government will be very useful in maintaining the Philippine Air Force’s (PAF) remaining fleet of Huey helicopters.
(PAF FACEBOOK / MANILA BULLETIN)
Major Aristedes M. Galang, the Chief of the PAF's Public Affairs Office, made the remark as the PAF receives Tuesday (March 19) thousands of spare parts from Japan.
Galang said the acceptance, turn-over and blessing ceremony of the UH-1 spare parts and maintenance equipment from the Japanese Government through the Japan Ministry of Defense (JMOD) will be held at the Haribon Hangar, Air Force City, Clark Air Base, Pampanga.
The program, which will start at about.10:30 a.m., will be attended by Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana and high ranking officials from both JMOD and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Galang said the items to be donated by the Japanese government will be of great help to PAF units with UH-1 helicopters such as the 505th Search and Rescue Group, and the 205th Tactical Helicopter Wing that conducts humanitarian assistance, disaster response and airlift operations The PAF is known to operate about 20 to 30 UH-1 helicopters.
The Japanese government earlier made available thousands of spare parts to help the PAF keep its fleet of Huey helicopters flying.
A source who earlier requested anonymity, said the Japanese government offered the assorted spare parts as their fleet of Huey helicopters was shrinking in numbers.
“Ano ‘yun, iti turn-over na sa atin kasi paubos na ‘yung Huey nila eh ,” the source said.
The source said the only request made by the Japanese government was for the PAF to build a facility for the proper handling and storage of the spare parts.
“Ang request lang nila is gumawa tayo ng facility to store it properly. These are assorted spares for huey that can help in ensuring our fleet will be flying,” the source said.
The source said the offer by the Japanese govenment to provide PAF with spare parts for its Huey’s was done in 2017.