Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana is optimistic that the remaining 10 Blackhawk S-70is combat utility helicopters that were procured for the use of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) will be delivered this year.
"Their large capacity and impressive horsepower allows for a faster and long-range transport. Looking forward to the delivery of the remaining 10 Blackhwaks this year," Lorenzana said in a social media post on Sunday, May 23.
He noted that the acquisition of the Blackhawk helicopters have greatly boosted the operational readiness of the PAF both in combat and non-combat missions.
In November 2020, the PAF received the first batch of six Blackhawks from Polish company Polskie Zaklady Lotnicze Sp.z.o.o which were manufactured under license from Sikorsky USA.
The delivery of the remaining 10 choppers was delayed after it was initially slated in the first quarter of 2021.
The total 16 choppers were procured under the "Horizon 2" of the Revised Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Program (RAFPMP) with a total contract price of $241,461,699.39 through a government-to-government (G2G) transaction between the Philippines and Poland in 2019.
The Blackhawk helicopter is capable of flying at a speed of 224 miles per hour or 361 km per hour. It also has a range of 290 miles or 460 km.
The Blackhawks were used in combat missions, humanitarian assistance and disasater response (HADR) operations, and coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic response of the AFP.