THE Philippine Air Force (PAF) has received five more Sikorsky S70-i Blackhawk helicopters, bringing the number of Blackhawks in PAF to 11, the Department of National Defense (DND) said.
DND spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said the brand new helicopters, which were purchased from Polish company Polskie Zaklady Lotnicze Sp.z.o.o., arrived at the Clark Airbase in Pampanga on Monday, June 7, 2021.
It was the second batch of military helicopters that arrived in the country following the six units that arrived in November and December 2020.
“The initial batch of Blackhawks are now being utilized in humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations, including the distribution of Covid-19 vaccines and other medical supplies,” Andolong said.
The last five Blackhawks are expected to be delivered in November 2021.
The procurement of Blackhawks is part of the P12.1-billion PAF combat utility helicopter acquisition project.
Blackhawk is a two-engine helicopter with special features, such as having its own weather radar. (Third Anne Peralta-Malonzo / SunStar Philippines)