The Philippine air force will receive five used Bell UH-1 transport helicopters under a deal facilitated by the US Army Security Assistance Command (USASAC).
Acquired via the USA's Excess Defense Articles programme, the helicopters have been refurbished under a Foreign Military Sales deal. They are en-route to the Philippines aboard a US freighter, which left Jacksonville, Florida on 4 November.
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All images © US Army |
"The Philippine air force purchased the renewed aircraft to assist in their continued counter-insurgency and disaster relief efforts," the USASAC says. It did not provide financial details of the deal.
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The Philippines has flown the Huey since the 1970s, and its air force has an active fleet of 78 UH-1H/Vs, says Flightglobal's HeliCAS database.
A sprawling, multi-ethnic country, the Philippines has suffered insurgencies of varying intensity in its half century of independence. The Abu Sayaf and Moro Islamic Liberation Front are separatist groups that seek an independent Islamic republic in the southern Philippines.
The country is also prone to natural disasters such as typhoons, floods and volcanic eruptions.
Source: Flight International
