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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider PAF gets 5 new Black Hawk helicopters

PAF gets 5 new Black Hawk helicopters

Published Nov 9, 2021 02:52 pm

Five brand new S-70i Black Hawk helicopters were delivered to the Philippine Air Force (PAF) as part of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) continuing modernization program, it was announced Tuesday, Nov. 9.

The Philippine Air Force welcomes the arrival of five S-70i Black Hawk helicopters at Clark Air Base in Pampanga on Nov. 8, 2021. (Photo: PAF)

The aircraft arrived at the Clark Air Base in Pampanga on Monday, Nov. 8, via an Antonov transport plane from Poland, according to Lt. Col. Maynard Mariano, PAF spokesperson.

“The Black Hawk helicopters will boost the AFP’s capability to conduct various operations including humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) missions,” he said.

The choppers were part of the third and final batch of delivery of PZL Mielec, a Polish aircraft manufacturer, to which the PAF ordered 16 units of Black Hawks for around P11.5 billion.

The first batch of six units were delivered from Nov. 9 to Dec. 2, 2020 but one of the helicopters was involved in a plane crash in Capas, Tarlac last June 24, 2021. Six airmen died in the tragedy and the Black Hawk fleet was grounded at the time.

Meanwhile, the second batch of five units arrived on June 7, 2021 and was formally accepted, turned over, and blessed last Oct. 13.

Mariano said the newly delivered helicopters will be subjected to various flight and tolerance tests before they are officially included in the PAF’s fleet.

“It has to go through processes. It has to go through acceptance, it has to go through the checking of all systems,” he said.

He said the PAF will now proceed to buy more Black Hawks since they are a “proven system” and seen to replace the workhorse Huey helicopters that were acquired in the 1970s.

“Right now, if we can get a common equipment, then it would be better for the armed forces,” Mariano said.

“We can sustain it more compared to may iba-ibang klase tayong mga helicopter (if we have different types of helicopter),” he added.

The Black Hawk is a combat utility helicopter that is capable of flying at a speed of 224 miles or 361 kilometers per hour. It also has a range of 290 miles or 460 km.

It can be configured according to specific missions including troop transport and air assault, command and control, border patrol, search and rescue, disaster response, cargo lift, and VIP transport.

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