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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Philippine Air Force welcomes new C-130 aircraft from US; T-129 'ATAK' choppers from Turkey to be activated too

Philippine Air Force welcomes new C-130 aircraft from US; T-129 'ATAK' choppers from Turkey to be activated too

Published Feb 19, 2024 09:32 am
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A water cannon salute is given to the Philippine Air Force's newest acquisition, a C-130H tactical transport aircraft, during its arrival at Clark Air Base in Mabalacat City, Pampanga on February 19, 2024. (Photo by PAF)

The Philippine Air Force (PAF) welcomed its newest C-130H tactical transport aircraft from the United States on Monday, February 19, which will be commissioned into service along with the two T-129 "ATAK" attack helicopters it received from Turkey recently.

The C-130H bearing tail number 5157 was given a water cannon salute after it landed at the Clark Air Base in Mabalacat City, Pampanga. It was ferried from Waco, Texas, United States by an American aircrew.

The C-130H marks the second of two C-130 aircraft granted by the US government to the Philippines through the Excess Defense Articles (EDA) program. The first unit was delivered on January 29, 2021 and formally turned over to the PAF in February of that year.

Watch: Philippine Air Force welcomes new C-130 aircraft from US

"The new addition will bolster the PAF's cargo airlift fleet and support humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations, and various military missions," PAF spokesperson Col. Ma. Consuelo Castillo said.

A formal acceptance, turnover, and blessing ceremony for the C-130H is tentatively scheduled by the end of February or in March along with the two units of T-129 ATAK helicopters received by PAF in November last year.

It will be graced either by President Marcos or Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.

The T-129 ATAK helicopters are part of the USD269 million (around P14.9 billion) contract signed by the Department of National Defense for six helicopters from the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) in 2020. The first pair were delivered on March 9, 2022 while the second pair arrived in December of that same year.

"We really need modern aircraft and radars to monitor the scope of our archipelago. These modern assets can respond to emerging security landscape in the region," Castillo said.

Related Tags

Philippine Air Force (PAF) T-129 ATAK helicopter PAF C-130
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