Philippines approves purchase of more Black Hawk Helicopters
The Philippine government has cleared the way for its Air Force to acquire more Polish-built Black Hawk helicopters amid efforts to replace Huey Helos
Editorial Staff
Philippines approves purchase of more Black Hawk Helicopters MELBOURNE, Australia — The Philippine government has cleared the way for its Air Force to acquire more Polish-built Black Hawk helicopters amid efforts to replace the aging fleet of Vietnam War-era Huey helicopters. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte approved the acquisition of the helicopters in early February, according to an announcement by Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles on Thursday, with the government saying the purchase would “slowly address the growing heli-lift deficiency.” Nograles also said the approval was for 15 helicopters, although he added that the figure was indicative and dependent on available funding. However, the news portal Inquirer.net quoted Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana as saying on Monday that the approval was for 32 more Black Hawks, potentially bringing the Air Force’s fleet of helicopters to 48 Black Hawks. The Southeast Asian country already has 16 S-70i Black Hawks on order, with the first five delivered in November 2020 and the last heli…
