32 new Black Hawks expand Philippine air force’s reach across archipelago

The Philippine air force completed a $624 million acquisition of 32 S-70i Black Hawk helicopters this week, expanding a fleet used to move troops and respond to disasters across the sprawling archipelago.

The final seven helicopters were formally handed over Wednesday during a ceremony at Villamor Air Base in Manila, according to Philippine broadcaster ABS-CBN News.

Manufactured by Lockheed Martin subsidiary PZL Mielec in Poland, the Black Hawks join 15 S-70i helicopters assigned to the Philippine air force’s 205th Tactical Helicopter Wing.

The S-70i is equipped with a digital cockpit, color weather radar, an integrated system for monitoring the aircraft’s condition, troop seating and a cargo hook capable of carrying 9,000 pounds, according to Lockheed Martin.

Philippine pilots and maintenance personnel receive training in both the United States and the Philippines, the company said.

The Philippine Department of National Defense announced the purchase in February 2022. Deliveries began in 2024 and concluded with the seven aircraft handed over Wednesday, according to ABS-CBN.

The additional helicopters will allow the air force to station Black Hawks throughout the country and respond more quickly to emergencies and other crises, 205th Tactical Helicopter Wing commander Brig. Gen. Gilberto Esteban told reporters at the ceremony, according to the broadcaster.

Some of the new helicopters will be deployed to Palawan, the Philippines’ westernmost major island, the report said.

The island faces the South China Sea, where the Philippines and China have overlapping territorial claims and their ships have repeatedly confronted one another in disputed waters.

Lockheed Martin said when the sale was announced that the helicopters would increase the Philippine air force’s capacity for search and rescue, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief and troop transportation.