Manila to buy attack helicopters from Turkey
Credit to Author: DEMPSEY REYES| Date: Fri, 07 Dec 2018 18:40:20 +0000
The Philippine Air Force (PAF) has picked Turkey as its supplier of attack helicopters while the United States would supply utility helicopters, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said on Friday.
Lorenzana said the technical working group (TWG) of the Air Force has recommended Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk transport helicopters from the US instead of Canada, which had scrapped a chopper deal.
Sixteen units of Black Hawk helicopters would be procured by the Philippines for $240 million, he added, noting that the contract signing might happen early next year.
“The PAF-TWG has come up with recommendations that the Black Hawk is the best option that we will buy, so, we will pursue it,” Lorenzana told reporters at the sidelines of the Albert del Rosario Institute Stratbase forum in Makati City.
Apart from the transport choppers, the Defense chief said the Air Force has also come up with a recommendation to have Turkey as its supplier of attack helicopters.
The helicopters, the ATAK AgustaWestland T129s, are developed by the Turkish Aerospace Industries, partnering with Italy-based AgustaWestland company.
Lorenzana said eight to 10 attack choppers would be coming from Istanbul.
Earlier this year, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the military to cancel the transport helicopter deal with Canada after Ottawa expressed concern on the possibility that the combat utility helicopters might be used in targeting communist rebels.
The cancellation earned the ire of Duterte and even Lorenzana himself.
The post Manila to buy attack helicopters from Turkey appeared first on The Manila Times Online.