The Philippine Air Force has formally accepted five S-70i Black Hawk helicopters at Clark Air Base, Pampanga, following the fleet’s arrival last month.
The choppers are part of the Southeast Asian country’s 32-unit order from Lockheed Martin’s Polish subsidiary, PZL Mielec, in 2022 to modernize its aging military hardware. They will be used for multi-mission roles, including humanitarian assistance and disaster response, as well as troop and cargo transport.
It follows the delivery of the first batch of five in June 2024 and the second five in December 2024, which Lockheed announced in January this year.
Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopters have a “proven track record in enhancing interoperability and joint readiness,” supporting the security ties between the US and the Philippines, said Lockheed VP and Regional Chief Executive, Asia & India, Bill Blair.
S-70i Black Hawks
With a cabin length of 12.58 feet (3.84 meters), Black Hawks can accommodate a crew of four, comprising a pilot, co-pilot, and two gunners or crew chiefs, in addition to 12 troops.
The S-70i features a maximum gross take-off weight of 22,000 pounds (9,979 kilograms), flying at a top cruise speed of 160 knots (296 kilometers/184 miles per hour) and a maximum service ceiling of 20,000 feet (6,097 meters).
In April, the Black Hawks were used in a joint training exercise involving the Philippine Air Force’s 205th Tactical Helicopter Wing and the Philippine Navy.
Additionally, they participated in the US-Philippines Cope Thunder 25-2 joint air exercise in July, which also involved the first time a US Air Force F-35 squadron was deployed to Philippine territory.
