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As part of its billion-peso modernization program, the Philippine Air Force received 10 brand spankin’ new choppers on Monday.
“Eight of the choppers are Bell-412 EPs worth P4.8 billion,” reports Frances Mangosing on Inquirer.net.
According to a press statement from Bell Helicopter, the eight Bell-412 choppers were delivered and received on Monday, three months ahead of schedule, and in time for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in November, where three of them will be deployed.
The remaining five, meanwhile, will be “deployed to the 205th Tactical Helicopter Wing,” notes the Inquirer report.
The Bell-412 choppers are fully configured, equipped with advanced features and fully meet the DND’s modernization requirements.
Completing the 10 new choppers are two 109E units from AgustaWestland. The Air Force is expecting six more of the 109Es in the coming months, after which they will all be deployed to Sangley Point in Cavite.
We agree with Air Force Chief Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Delgado when he said there’s still a long way to go. “We are just starting We have a lot of things to do but we are taking it one step at a time.”
Apart from getting new choppers, Air Force pilots did some training for several months.
“Aside from the 10 new choppers, the Air Force is also expecting two more C295 medium lift aircraft from Spain, two CN-212i Light lift Aircraft from Indonesia and 2 FA-50 lead-in fighter aircraft from South Korea,” notes the report.
Photo: Screengrab from Inquirer.net.
