The Philippine Air Force (PAF) announced that it had formally received five newly acquired S-70i Black Hawk helicopters.
The helicopters, which arrived in the Philippines on July 15, 2025, form part of the 32-unit acquisition under a direct contract with Poland’s PZL Mielec, a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin, through the Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Program. The first batch of five helicopters arrived on June 10, 2024, followed by another five on December 9, 2024.
The latest delivery will expand PAF’s current fleet of 15 S-70i Black Hawk helicopters to 52, enhancing the air force’s operational capacity.
The PAF held an acceptance, turnover, and blessing ceremony to officially welcome the helicopters at Clark Air Base’s Haribon Hangar in Mabalacat City, Pampanga.
According to the PAF, each helicopter underwent a stringent Technical Inspection and Acceptance (TIA) process conducted by the Department of National Defense, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and PAF to ensure compliance with the country’s operational standards and specifications.