By Priam Nepomuceno
MANILA – The Philippine Air Force (PAF) on Thursday announced that Polish aircraft manufacturer, PZL Mielec, had delivered another five S-70i “Black Hawk” helicopter units on Dec. 9.
In an interview, PAF spokesperson Col. Consuelo Castillo said these helicopters were delivered at Clark Air Base, Angeles City, Pampanga and is the second delivery for this year.
These helicopters are now undergoing Technical Inspection and Acceptance Committee (TIAC) activities prior acceptance and commissioning by the PAF.
The first five “Black Hawks” were delivered last June 10 and were commissioned into service shortly afterwards.
Castillo said these 10 S-70is are part of the 32 aircraft-contract deal with PZL Mielec signed by then Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana in Feb. 22, 2022 worth PHP32 billion.
The contract includes an initial logistics support package and training for pilots and maintenance crew.
Another 15 S-70i helicopters are expected to be delivered by 2025 while the remaining seven units are expected to be handed over by 2026.
“Our ‘Black Hawks’ are very important because (we) used them for a range of missions, we used them for internal security operations, we used them for medical search and rescue, we used them for HADR (humanitarian assistance and disaster relief). They are heavily used especially (because) we have had a lot of typhoons the past months,” Castillo said.
She also said the S-70i helicopters are much faster, durable and could carry a heavier load than other helicopters in PAF service.
The DND previously purchased 16 units of Black Hawk helicopters from PZL Mielec, which were delivered from 2020 to 2021 for PHP11.5 billion.
On the previously acquired 16 “Black Hawk” units, one was lost when it crashed while on a night-flying exercise on June 24, 2021.
Kanlaon damage assessment
As this developed, Castillo said the PAF deployed two S-70i helicopters on Thursday to conduct rapid damage assessment and needs analysis (RDANA) through an aerial survey over Negros Occidental province and gather critical data on potential hazards following Mt. Kanlaon’s eruption on Dec. 9.
Aboard the helicopters were experts from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), and officials from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) of Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental, and the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Regions 6 and 7.
“The inter-agency team utilized the aerial platforms to gain a comprehensive overview of the situation and identify areas requiring immediate attention. The flight mission which started at 8:29 in the morning lasted for almost an hour,” Castillo added.
She said two helicopters will also be utilized for the airlift of volumes of relief goods intended for the affected communities.
“The PAF, through its air assets, remains committed to supporting disaster response and relief efforts. By providing essential aerial capabilities, the Air Force plays a vital role in monitoring and responding to natural disasters and other emergencies,” Castillo said. (PNA)
