The Philippines will buy 32 S-70i Black Hawk helicopters to upgrade its military artillery.
The first of the 32 S-70i Black Hawks from Poland-based Sikorsky Aircraft subsidiary PZL Mielec, a firm owned by the U.S. defense manufacturer Lockheed Martin, will begin to arrive next year.
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Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said on Facebook that the remaining units will be delivered in three batches, 10 units in 2024, 10 units in 2025 and seven units in 2026.
The deal worth more than $620 million will beef up the Philippines’ existing fleet.
Lorenzana said a notice of award was issued on Dec. 28 to purchase brand-new helicopters under a project that comes with logistics support and a training package for pilots and maintenance crew and the aircraft was needed for humanitarian assistance and disaster response.
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Meanwhile, the Philippines earlier this month received the first batch of Turkey-made T129 Tactical Reconnaissance and Attack Helicopters (ATAK) and
it had signed a deal with Turkey to purchase six T-129 ATAK attack helicopters built by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI).
