MANILA - Five Sikorsky-S70 Black Hawk helicopters have arrived at Clark Air Base to serve in the Philippine Air Force.

The Department of National Defense said in a statement that the five Black Hawks arrived at Clark Air Base aboard a transport plane on Monday.

The DND said that only five helicopters can be transported by the plane and the sixth one was loaded on a ship and is expected to arrive in Manila in December.

Ten more Black Hawk choppers will be delivered with the first quarter of 2021, the department said.

The 16 Black Hawks, which cost more than $240 million, were procured through a government deal with Poland, where Sikorsky is based.

"The Blackhawks will greatly boost the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ capability to conduct various operations, including combat missions, humanitarian assistance and disaster response, and help in the government’s efforts against COVID-19," the DND said.

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