DND inks defense cooperation agreement with Turkey’s SSB

THE Department of National Defense has signed a defense cooperation agreement with Turkey, which, DND officials said earlier, would be the source of attack helicopters for the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana signed a memorandum of understanding on defense industry cooperation with the Presidency of Defence Industries (SSB) of the Republic of Turkey at the Villamor Air Base on Tuesday.

The agreement focuses on government-to-government acquisition as well as the development, production, cooperation and transfer of defense technology between the DND and the SSB.

Lorenzana disclosed more than a week ago that the technical working group of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) has chosen Turkey’s TAI/AgustaWestland ATAK helicopters to fill in the Air Force’s requirement for attack choppers under the military’s modernization program.

The Turkish helicopters will replace the 16 Bell attack helicopters from Canada, whose acquisition contract was scuttled by President Duterte following the announcement of the Canadian government that they would have to review the deal, citing the Duterte administration’s human-rights record.

The procurement of attack helicopters was originally included in the First Horizon, the first phase of the Armed Forces Modernization Program, but was moved to the Second Horizon after the scuttling of the Bell contract.

Lorenzana said the PAF may only acquire eight Turkish ATAK helicopters and not 30 as previously reported due to budget considerations. Aside from attack helicopters, the PAF will also acquire Black Hawk helicopters for its combat utility helicopters requirement.

The Black Hawk was recommended also by the PAF’s technical working group.

Black Hawks are manufactured by Sikorsky, a subsidiary of American defense manufacturer behemoth Lockheed Martin.

A reconfigured Black Hawk was used by a US Navy SEAL team when they swooped down on the lair of Osama Bin Laden in May 2011 in Pakistan and killed the al-Qaeda leader.

Lorenzana said the PAF, which has allotted $240 million for the acquisition of combat utility helicopters, will get 16 Black Hawks.

Rene Acosta