Philippines to buy US military helicopters

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Philippines will buy 16 Black Hawk helicopters from the Sikorsky Aircraft Corp for $240 million (Dh881 million), shunning cheaper Russian equipment due to US sanctions on Russian military exports.

Yesterday, Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the air force would sign a contract early next year for the choppers, even though the Russians offered the second lowest price. The Philippines is spending 300 billion pesos (Dh20.56 billion) over the next five years to upgrade its defence capability. (Reuters)