Duterte vow: 7 helicopters for PAF after Huey crash
President Rodrigo Duterte is sourcing funds to buy at least seven new helicopters for the Philippine Air Force (PAF) following the death of PAF members when a Huey chopper crashed in Bukidnon last week.
“How many Hueys are left? I plan to replace them as they are really too old. Even when you say they are well-maintained,” Mr. Duterte said in his speech at Camp Teodulfo Bautista in Jolo, Sulu on Friday.
Mr. Duterte added he was saddened to hear of soldiers losing their lives while doing their duties. He added that he plans to retire all Huey helicopters because of their frequent involvement in fatal crashes.
The Bukidnon incident was the fourth PAF rotorcraft to go down in six months.
“We will buy new helicopters. We need to save lives. If it can be remedied, we will,” he said. “I am not making any hard promises. But you can rest assured, I will try my best to look for money to replace these old Huey helicopters.”
PAF grounded all its Huey helicopters following the crash in Bukidnon on 16 January. The UH-1H and UH-1D models were Vietnam War-era helicopters refurbished to serve as PAF’s workhorses.
It was reported that the Bukidnon incident was the fourth PAF rotorcraft to go down in six months, three of them Huey helicopters.
Even prior to the President’s pronouncement, the Armed Forces of the Philippines already had an existing procurement program to modernize PAF’s fleet.
Recently, PAF commissioned the first six of 16 Polish-made Sikorsky S-70i Black Hawk helicopters ordered in 2019. The remaining 10 units were expected to be delivered within the first quarter of 2021, defense officials said.
The brand-new Black Hawk helicopters, manufactured by PZL Mielec, a Lockheed Martin/Sikorsky company in Poland, will provide PAF with sustained day-and-night tactical lift, transport and search-and-rescue capabilities.