TSAMTO, November 11. According to the Philippine news agency PNA, on November 8, the last batch of multi-purpose S-70i "Black Hawk" helicopters intended for the country's Air Force was delivered to the Philippines.
Antonov Airlines AN-124 aircraft, which delivered five helicopters from Poland, landed at the Clark Philippine Air Force Base in Pampanga. After the arrival of the new batch, the total number of Black Hawk S-70i delivered to the Philippines increased to 16 units. Thus, the delivery of helicopters is fully completed.
Earlier, the media mistakenly reported on the completion of the delivery of helicopters after the ceremony of acceptance of five S-70i Black Hawk into service on October 13, 2021 at Clark Air Base. As it was explained later, it was about five helicopters delivered to the Philippines in June 2021. Due to the lengthy acceptance procedure, they were put into service only after 4 months.
As reported by TSAMTO, the contract for the supply of 16 multi-purpose S-70i "Black Hawk" helicopters developed by Sikorsky to the Philippine Air Force was signed in April 2019 as part of an intergovernmental agreement with Poland. The purchase was implemented as part of the second stage of the modernization program of the Armed forces of the Philippines (Horizon-2). The sale cost was about 11.5 billion philipps. pesos ($241.462 million). Helicopters for the Philippine Air Force are assembled at the Polish company PZL Mielec, which is a division of Sikorsky.
The ordered S-70i are designed to transport troops and cargo, supplies, medical evacuation, aerial reconnaissance, limited close air support, search and rescue operations, and support operations to assist victims of natural disasters.
The first six S-70is were delivered to the Philippines in November 2020. They became part of the 205th Tactical Helicopter Wing, stationed at the Mactan-Benito Ebuen base. Five more helicopters were delivered on board the AN-124 aircraft in June 2021. One of the six S-70is of the first batch crashed on June 24, 2021 during a night exercise.
S-70i were purchased instead of Bell-412EPI, the contract for the supply of which to the Philippine Air Force was canceled. It is planned that the Black Hawk Park will reach full readiness for combat use in 2023.
In February 2021, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte approved the purchase of 15 more S-70i helicopters as part of a plan to replace the existing UH-1D/H and Bell 205/212.
