DND thanks Duterte for planning to buy new choppers for PAF's fleet

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte leads the 72nd Anniversary of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) at the Colonel Jesus Villamor Air Base in Pasay City on July 2, 2019. Screencap from PCOO video
The Department of National Defense expressed gratitude to President Rodrigo Duterte for his plan of buying new helicopters for Philippine Air Force that will replace the type of aircraft involved in recent crash in Bukidnon.

In a statement on Sunday, DND spokesperson Arsenio R. Andolong said the PAF Combat Utility Helicopter Acquisition Program aims to procure assets that will replace the current fleet of UH-1s of PAF.


“The DND expresses its sincerest appreciation for President Duterte's intention to purchase more helicopters for the PAF,” Andolong said.

According to Andolong, the program has enabled DND to add the Sikorsky S70i Blackhawk to the PAF's inventory.

“Any program involving the acquisition of brand new hardware takes time as the new units come fresh out of the manufacturing plants, are assembled, inspected and delivered in a process that takes several months to complete,” he added.

On Saturday, Duterte said he wants to You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now. inventory due to their frequent involvement in fatal crashes.

“Bibili ako ng mga helicopters —para sa mga... Sayang ang buhay. At saka puwede pa naman natin remedyohan sa Bisaya. Eh kung may remedyo diyan, if it can be remedied, we will,” Duterte said.

“I am not making any hard promises. But you can rest assured, I will try my best to look for money para palitan ko ‘yung mga luma na,” he added.

On January 16, one PAF’s You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now. near Bukidnon's Barangay Bulonay, with the seven people aboard killed in the crash.

Following the crash in Bukidnon, Andolong said the entire You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now..

“In the interim, we have rotary aircraft such as the Bell 412s and Blackhawks that will take up some of the slack left by the wí†hdráwal of the UH-1s from the field,” he said.

Andolong said 10 more Blackhawks are expected to be delivered early this year. These units will be deployed as soon as they pass mandatory technical inspection and acceptance procedures, he added. —LBG, GMA News

 

[Frustrated Burger]

Ganyan dapat , nice one president Duterte

 

[Teddy15]

chour iiyak nanaman yung mga NPA na nasa bundok. Goodluck sa ating PAF

 

[AimHigh_21]

mamaya mag cocomment na ung mga anti. hindi lang basta anti admin talagang galit na galit pa sasabihin kesa ibili ng mga ganyan itulong nalang sa mahihirap!