The Philippine Department of National Defense (DND) made an order on February 22 with PZL Mielec, a Polish Lockheed Martin affiliate, for 32 more Sikorsky S-70i Black Hawk multifunctional helicopters for use by the Philippine Air Force.
The aircraft will be used by the Philippine Air Force’s 205th Tactical Helicopter Wing for a variety of missions, including search and rescue, disaster relief, and troop transportation. Some of these units have also been utilized to transport Covid-19 vaccines in geographically isolated areas.
This recent order is said to be the PZL Mielec’s largest single order of Black Hawk helicopters since the S-70i was introduced in 2009. In December 2021, the Philippines also ordered 16 Black Hawk helicopters to the Philippine Air Force.
Black Hawk features:
- Fully integrated digital cockpit with four-axis coupled flight director
- Colour weather radar
- Integrated vehicle health monitoring system (IVHMS)
- Cabin troop seats
- 4,082kg cargo hook
The delivery of all 32 aircraft is slated to be completed by 2026.
