TSAMTO, December 7. According to the Philippine news agency PNA, on December 3, an official ceremony was held at Clark Air Base in Angeles (Pampanga Province) for the adoption of the last batch of multi-purpose S-70i "Black Hawk" helicopters by the Philippine Air Force.
Charge d'affaires of Poland Jaroslaw Szczepankiewicz officially handed over the helicopters to the Commander of the Air Force, Lieutenant General Allen T. Paredes. Thus, the total number of S-70i "Black Hawk" adopted by the Philippine Air Force has increased to 16 units.
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 filip. pesos ($241.462 billion). 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, 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 by air on board the AN-124 aircraft in June 2021. They were officially adopted on October 13. The last five S-70i Black Hawk helicopters were delivered to the Philippines on November 8 aboard AN AN-124 aircraft.
One of the six S-70i helicopters of the first batch crashed on June 24, 2021 during night exercises.
The S-70i helicopters were purchased instead of the Bell-412EPI, the contract for the supply of which was canceled by the Philippine Air Force. 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.
