Lockheed Martin delivers 10 Black Hawk helicopters to Philippine Air Force
The Philippine Air Force (PAF) has taken delivery of the first 10 S-70i Black Hawk helicopters from Lockheed Martin.
The delivery, which took place in two batches during 2024, is part of a contract for 32 Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopters under the Philippine Department of National Defense’s (DND) Additional Utility Helicopters Acquisition Project.
Signed in 2022, the current contract states that the Philippine Air Force will take delivery of 32 aircraft from Lockheed Martin subsidiary PZL Mielec. This will expand the Air Force’s current fleet of 15 S-70i Black Hawk helicopters to 47, enhancing their operational capacity.
The first five aircraft under this contract were delivered in June 2024 and another five were delivered in December 2024. The remaining aircraft will be delivered over the next two years.
The Philippine Air Force held a blessing ceremony when it received the five S-70i Black Hawk helicopters on December 17, 2024, at Haribon Hangar, Clark Air Base, Pampanga.
Philippine Air Force According to the Philippine Air Force, both the first and second batches underwent rigorous Technical Inspection and Acceptance (TIA) procedures conducted by the Department of National Defense (DND), Armed Forces of the Philippines, and PAF to ensure all units meet the required standards and specifications.
“The growing Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopter fleet in the Philippines is a testament to this reliable, multi-mission aircraft that is depended on for missions such as search and rescue, humanitarian aid and troop transport across the archipelago,” Hamid Salim, Vice President of Army and Air Force Systems at Sikorsky said in a statement.
“When deliveries are completed, the Philippines will have the largest fleet of S-70i Black Hawks in the world, growing the global fleet of Hawks which supports interoperability and commonality and is a key deterrence and security advantage in the Indo-Pacific,” Salim added.
In September 2024, Lockheed Martin appointed Asian Aerospace as the official original equipment manufacturer (OEM) authorized reseller of Sikorsky spare parts and repair services for the Black Hawk helicopter family of products in the Philippines. This places OEM-approved, high-quality parts in the hands of customers to sustain their rapidly growing fleet and ensures a dedicated resource for reliable support.
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The post Lockheed Martin delivers 10 Black Hawk helicopters to Philippine Air Force appeared first on AeroTime.
The Philippine Air Force (PAF) has taken delivery of the first 10 S-70i Black Hawk helicopters from Lockheed…
The post Lockheed Martin delivers 10 Black Hawk helicopters to Philippine Air Force appeared first on AeroTime.
