The Philippine Air Force said it took delivery of five more Blackhawk utility helicopters from Poland, as it continued to modernize its aging fleet.
This brought to 11 the total number of S-70i choppers in the PAF inventory. Another delivery of five Blackhawks is expected this year, the military said.
The PAF also earlier acquired six T-129 attack helicopters from Turkey, with the first delivery expected in the third quarter of 2021.
The first batch of five blackhawks delivered in 2020 have been used to transport vaccines and other COVID-19 supplies to the most remote parts of the country, the PAF said.
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"With this new arrival, the PAF will be a better partner in the fight against the pandemic and a reliable ally in nation building," the PAF said.
The Blackhawks and S-70i orders are a significant departure from the PAF's earlier invetory that relied on the Vietnam War era UH-1H or Hueys that figured in several crashes, earning them the title "widow-maker."
