Pasay city: The Philippine Air Force (PAF) will commission seven brand-new S-70i utility helicopters on Wednesday, bringing its total "Black Hawk" fleet to 47. In an interview with the Philippine News Agency on Tuesday, PAF spokesperson Col. Ma. Christina Basco said the formal acceptance, turnover, and blessing of the seven helicopters marks the completion of the 32 units contracted from Lockheed Martin's Polish subsidiary PZL Mielec on Feb. 22, 2022, for PHP32 billion.

According to Philippines News Agency, after the commissioning ceremonies at Villamor Air Base, Pasay City, Basco said the S-70is will be immediately deployed for missions. "The arrival of these seven helicopters completes the order of all 32 S-70i 'Black Hawk' helicopters acquired under the PAF's Modernization Program, marking a significant milestone in the development of the country's rotary wing capability," she said.

Basco stated that the additional aircraft will also augment the PAF's capability to conduct a wide range of missions including troop and personnel transport, humanitarian assistance and disaster response, search-and-rescue, medical evacuation, and other critical air operations. "This milestone reflects the PAF's continuing efforts to modernize its fleet and enhance mission readiness with a larger and more capable 'Black Hawk' fleet. The PAF is better positioned to provide responsive air support in times of crisis," she added.

The first 10 S-70is were delivered in 2024, another 10 were turned over in 2025, and five more were delivered in January of this year. S-70i helicopters are known for their versatility, speed, and reliability in a wide range of missions.

The PAF's first order of 16 Black Hawk units were delivered from 2020 and 2021 for PHP11.5 billion. However, one of the helicopters in the first order crashed on June 24, 2021, during a night-flying training mission.