BLACK HAWK CHOPPERS | Poland delivers five brand-new combat utility helicopters to the Philippines

November 10, 2020 , 02:33 PM

By Manny Mogato, News5 editor-at-large

(November 10, 2020 ) – A Polish defense manufacturer has delivered the first six of 16 S-70i Black Hawk combat utility helicopters to the Philippines, part of the military’s capability upgrade program to replace the ageing Vietnam War vintage UH-1H Hueys in its inventory, the defense department said on Tuesday.

Five of the choppers were delivered straight from the factory in Poland to Clark air field by a giant Russian-made Antonov plane on Monday. A sixth chopper was sent via boat which will arrive on December 2, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said during the defense department’s anniversary at Camp Aguinaldo.

The remaining 10 Black Hawk are scheduled to be delivered by the first quarter of next year, he added.

The Polish company Polskie Zaklady Lotnicze Sp.z.o.o won the contract to supply 16 Sikorsky S-70i Blackhawk helicopters for a total of $241.46 million, or about P11.65 billion.

Arsenio Andolong, spokesman for the defense department, said the Philippines originally awarded the contract for combat utility helicopters to Bell helicopters but after a Canadian official criticized President Rodrigo Duterte’s human rights record, the government decided to cancel the deal and look for another supplier.

“The Black Hawks will greatly boost the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ capability to conduct various operations, including combat missions, humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR), and help in the government’s efforts against COVID-19,” said Andolong.

Air Force spokesman Lt. Col. Aristides Galang said the aircraft will also be used against internal security threats which includes the communist New People’s Army and pro-Islamic State Muslim groups.

“These will boost the capability of the Philippine Air Force especially in internal security operations and HADR operations. They are going to provide a big help,” said Galang of the brand new helicopters.

After the President’s order, the DND turned to the Polish aircraft manufacturer and signed the contract last year. The aircraft are being acquired through a government-to-government transaction with Poland.

Apart from the Black Hawk choppers, the Philippines is also acquiring 16 attack helicopters from Turkey but the deal was not yet signed.

Lorenzana was also interested in acquiring 22 second-hand UH-1H Huey helicopters and some used MD-500 attack helicopters from South Korea.

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