PH Air Force gets 5 more S-70i Black Hawk choppers

MANILA - The Philippine Air Force has accepted 5 more S-70i Black Hawk helicopters in Clark, Pampanga, which are meant to help in the country's disaster response.

According to the Air Force, the batch completes the delivery of a total of 16 choppers, which were manufactured in Poland.

The first batch of 6 units arrived in November last year, followed by the delivery of 5 helicopters in June this year. The second batch was only "formally accepted, turned over, and blessed in a simple ceremony" last month, PAF said.

"The Black Hawk Helicopters will boost the AFP's capability to conduct various operations including humanitarian assistance and disaster response missions," their statement read.

• 5 more Black Hawk choppers arrive in Clark for Philippine Air Force

According to Air Force spokesman Lt. Col. Maynard Mariano, the latest units that arrived will have to be screened and tested before they can be formally accepted, hence the delayed ceremony for the 2nd batch of choppers in October.

"The only thing that really happened was the delivery, in terms na nilipad dito sa atin, pero it is subject for checks, tests before we accept it, other than that, pag hindi yan dumaan ipapabalik natin yan sa kanila," Mariano explained.

(It was only flown to us but t is still subject for checks and tests before we accept it. If it does not pass our inspection, we will return it to them.)

There is no clear time frame yet when the inspection would be finished, but it could be returned to the manufacturers if they don't pass a checklist.

"Masusi itong sinusunod na checklist na 'to (this checklist is followed rigorously) so if these items will not pass, the tolerance in the given checklist and the test then it will not be accepted by the Air Force, it has to be checked," he said.

"Kung hindi ma-accept ng Air Force then we have to have the, the anong tawag dito the manufacture come in, or they bring the aircraft or equipment pabalik to have it fixed."

(If this cannot be accepted by the PAF then we have to ask for the manufacturer to come in or bring the aircraft back to have it fixed.)

MORE BLACK HAWKS

Mariano said the Black Hawk fleet could pave the way for more choppers from the same brand due to its "proven system," but a formal contract has yet to be signed.

• 5 Black Hawk choppers from Poland arrive for PH Air Force

The choppers were first introduced during PAF's COVID-19 response.

"Marami pa tayong... in program for more Black Hawks... The Black Hawk is a proven system although the Bell 412s are a proven systems," the spokesman said.

(We still have things in program for more Black Hawks)

"Pero right now, if we can get a common equipment then it would be better for the Armed Forces to have a common equipment para hindi po mataas ang maintenance, hindi mataas ang support nito and we can sustain it more compared to may iba-ibang klase tayong mga helicopter," said Mariano.

(So that the maintenance would not be too much, or even the support... we have different kinds of helicopter)

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

In late June, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana ordered the grounding of Black Hawk choppers after a crash killed 6 in Capas, Tarlac. It was part of the delivery in November.

• Philippine military grounds Black Hawk helicopters after crash kills 6
• No survivors found yet in PH Air Force chopper crash in Tarlac: spox

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