TSAMTO, November 25. The Philippine Air Force has commissioned the first of two AH-1 "Cobra" specialized attack helicopters handed over by Jordan.
According to the PNA news agency, the helicopter arrived on November 18 at the location of the 15th strike Wing at the airbase "im. Major Danilo Atienza" at Sangley Point (Cavite City, Cavite Province).
As previously reported by TSAMTO, discussions on the supply of Cobra helicopters to the Philippines from the Jordanian Armed Forces began in 2017. Initially, Jordan offered to transfer four AH-1F helicopters from the Armed Forces to the Philippines. Technical specialists of the Philippine Air Force conducted an assessment of the equipment in June 2017. Subsequently, it was decided to transfer two cars (two more "Cobras" of the Armed Forces of the Philippines are planned to receive later).
During the three-day official visit of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to Jordan in September 2018, Philippine Defense Minister Delfin Lorenzana and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Jordanian Armed Forces Lieutenant General Mahmoud Freihat signed a memorandum of understanding on defense cooperation. At the same time, the parties agreed on the delivery of two AH-1 Cobra helicopters.
In June 2019, the Ministry of Budget and Management of the Philippines issued a special order on the allocation of funds (SARO) for the supply of AH-1 "Cobra" transferred from the Jordanian Armed Forces. The order provided for the allocation of 158.2 million Philippine pesos ($3.165 million) for these purposes.
The helicopters were delivered aboard Antonov AN-124 aircraft to Clark Air Base (Pampanga Ave., Philippines) on November 26, 2019. The adoption of the machines into service was scheduled for December of the same year. Nevertheless, the helicopters passed the necessary tests until mid-November of this year.
According to the Philippine media, despite the "venerable" age, the AH-1E/F "Cobra" remains a powerful means of striking ground targets using a triple-barreled 20-mm gun M197 Gatling, 70-mm unguided missiles or ATGM BGM-71A TOW. AH-1E/F "Cobra" will complement the fleet of existing MD-520MG light combat helicopters of the 20th Strike Squadron of the Philippine Air Force.
