Defence

Philippine DND Signs Contract to purchase 32 Black Hawk Helicopters

Philippine DND Signs Contract to purchase 32 Black Hawk Helicopters.
The Secretary of National Defense of the Philippines Delfin N. Lorenzana (left) formally signed the contract for 32 additional S-70i Black Hawk helicopters with President, General Director of PZL Mielec Janusz Zakręcki.

Fleet expansion resulting in rise of multi-role response capability of Philippine Air Force.

PZL Mielec, a Lockheed Martin company has signed a contract award with the Philippine Department of National Defense (DND) to manufacture 32 additional S-70i™ Black Hawk® utility helicopters for the Philippine Air Force. The delivery of all 32 aircraft by 2026 will substantially increase the operational capacity of the Philippine Air Force to perform various functions such as search and rescue missions, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and troop transport across the archipelagic country.

The Secretary of National Defense of the Philippines Delfin N. Lorenzana signed the contract with Janusz Zakręcki, president, general director of PZL Mielec and the contract was signed on February 22 at the Department of National Defense headquarters.

The Philippine Air Force’s 205th Tactical Helicopter Wing will receive all 32 aircrafts in a utility configuration and each aircraft will be equipped with a fully integrated digital cockpit with four axis coupled flight director, color weather radar, integrated vehicle health monitoring system (IVHMS), cabin troop seats, and a 9,000-pound (4,082 kg) cargo hook. The Pilots and the maintainers shall receive training both in the U.S. and the Philippines.

In the aftermath of Typhoon Odette (Rai), the Philippine Air Force has shown the world how its recently acquired Sikorsky S-70i Black Hawk fleet, designed and built to the toughest military standards, can quickly and reliably deliver emergency personnel and supplies to island populations across a large maritime area,” said Jason Lambert, vice president for Sikorsky Global Commercial & Military Systems.

Janusz Zakręcki, PZL Mielec president and general director said “Our Polish workforce is committed to build and deliver the next fleet of 32 Black Hawk aircraft on schedule, with the support that ensures these multi-role vehicles will protect and save lives while serving the Philippine people for decades to come.

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The Philippine contract for manufacture of 32 aircrafts is the largest single order of Black Hawk helicopters for PZL Mielec since S-70i aircraft production began in 2009. The contract signing comes two months after PZL Mielec, based in southern Poland, completed deliveries of 16 S-70i Combat Utility Helicopters on schedule to the Philippine Air Force 205th Tactical Helicopter Wing in December 2021.