By NG Seruela
The Philippine Air Force (PAF) received an additional five S-70i Black Hawk utility helicopters from Poland on Monday (June 7).
The PAF welcomed the additional helicopters because they will further boost the “heli-lift capability of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)” and assist the government in delivering more services quicker.
The five helicopters were carried aboard an Antonov transport plane that landed at Clark Air Base, Pampanga.
In a statement, the PAF said the Black Hawk is the “best in its class of multi-mission utility helicopters and can be applied, with suitable equipment, to meet a variety of missions.”
“With this new arrival, the PAF will be a better partner in the fight against the pandemic and a reliable ally in nation building,” the PAF assured.
The PH Air Force now has a total of 11 Black Hawk utility helicopters, with the first batch of six delivered in late 2020. The initial Black Hawks were used to transport vaccines and PPEs to the remote areas of Batanes, Bicol, and other parts of the country in the last few months.
The delivery of the third batch of five helicopters is scheduled before the end of 2021. – jlo
