The Philippine Air Force (PAF) has formally accepted five additional S-70i Black Hawk helicopters and eight M134-H “Gatling” heavy machine guns to arm the rotorcraft.
The turnover and blessing ceremony took place at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City, with the helicopters marking the fifth batch under the 32-unit contract signed with Lockheed Martin’s Polish subsidiary, PZL Mielec, in 2022.
The PAF now has 25 of the 32 Black Hawks purchased, with batches of five arriving in June and December 2024, August and November 2025, and the fifth tranche of five rotorcraft delivered in December 2025 and accepted in January 2026.
The remaining aircraft are expected in the coming months.
Once all 32 new Black Hawks are delivered, they will join the Philippines’ 15 existing S-70i helicopters, giving the PAF a total of 47.
Multi-Mission Chopper
The S-70i Black Hawk is a versatile, multi-mission helicopter used for troop and cargo transport, search and rescue, disaster relief, and armed utility operations.
Each helicopter can carry a crew of four — a pilot, co-pilot, and two gunners or crew chiefs — plus 12 fully equipped troops.
The aircraft has a cabin length of 12.58 feet (3.84 meters), a maximum gross takeoff weight of 22,000 pounds (9,979 kilograms), a top cruise speed of 160 knots (296 kilometers/184 miles per hour), and a service ceiling of 20,000 feet (6,097 meters).
The expanded Black Hawk fleet strengthens the PAF’s air mobility, rapid response, and disaster relief capabilities across the archipelago.
Local support and maintenance are provided through Lockheed Martin’s Manila office in partnership with Asian Aerospace, ensuring long-term sustainment of the growing fleet.
