By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Air Force (PAF) will formally commission seven newly acquired S-70i Black Hawk utility helicopters on Wednesday, completing its 32-unit order under the military’s modernization program and expanding its total Black Hawk fleet to 47.
PAF spokesperson Col. Ma. Christina Basco said the formal acceptance, turnover and blessing of the seven helicopters at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City will mark the completion of the aircraft contracted from PZL Mielec, the Polish subsidiary of Lockheed Martin, for PHP32 billion in 2022.
The newly commissioned helicopters are expected to be deployed immediately for operational missions.
“The arrival of these seven helicopters completes the order of all 32 S-70i ‘Black Hawk’ helicopters acquired under the PAF’s Modernization Program, marking a significant milestone in the development of the country’s rotary wing capability,” Basco said.
She said the additional aircraft will strengthen the PAF’s ability to carry out troop and personnel transport, humanitarian assistance and disaster response, search-and-rescue, medical evacuation and other critical air operations.
“This milestone reflects the PAF’s continuing efforts to modernize its fleet and enhance mission readiness with a larger and more capable ‘Black Hawk’ fleet. The PAF is better positioned to provide responsive air support in times of crisis,” Basco added.
The first 10 helicopters from the 32-unit order were delivered in 2024, followed by another 10 in 2025 and five more in January 2026.
The S-70i is designed for a wide range of missions and is noted for its versatility, speed and reliability.
The PAF earlier acquired 16 Black Hawk helicopters under a separate contract worth PHP11.5 billion, with deliveries completed in 2020 and 2021.
One of those aircraft was lost in a crash on June 24, 2021, during a night-flying training mission.
With the latest seven helicopters, the PAF now has a 47-strong Black Hawk fleet, providing the service with a substantially larger rotary-wing capability for military and emergency operations.
ia/xf
