The Philippine Air Force (PAF) will have an additional firepower in its arsenal with the arrival of T-129 attack helicopters from Turkey in September this year, an official of the Department of National Defense (DND) disclosed Tuesday, May 25.
"Based on latest developments, we are expecting the first two units of T-129 attack helicopters for the Philippine Air Force to be delivered this September," said DND spokesperson Arsenio Andolong.
Under the Attack Helicopter Acquisition Program of the "Horizon 2" of the Revised Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Program (RAMFP), the PAF procured a total of six T-129 attack helicopters with a total contract price of USD269,388,862 from Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI).
The program was sealed through a government-to-government (G2G) deal with the Notice of Award issued in late 2019.
The remaining four units are expected to be delivered in pairs in February 2022 and February 2023, Andolong noted.
The announcement came after the United States reportedly approved the issuance of export license to Turkey for the sale of the attack helicopters -- which are powered by American engines -- to the Philippines, foreign news outlets quoting TAI officials said on Monday.
This, after US imposed a sanction against Turkey in December 2020 under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) for purchasing air defense missile system from Russia.
Aside from the Turkish choppers, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said over the weekend that the PAF is also anticipating the arrival within the year of 10 Blackhawk combat utility helicopters from Poland as part of its modernization program.