5 more Black Hawk choppers delivered to PAF

The Philippine Air Force (PAF) on Thursday said five more Black Hawk helicopters arrived this week and will be added to the assets of the military.

“Just this week, we saw the arrival of another batch of five Black Hawk helicopters, which is the second batch of the 32 Black Hawk helicopters that we are acquiring under the Horizon 2 of the modernization program,” PAF spokesperson Colonel Ma. Consuelo Castillo said at a press briefing.

“So far out of the 32, we already received 10 and currently these five helicopters are undergoing technical inspection and acceptance activities,” she added.

Early this year, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. announced that President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has approved revisions for Horizon 3 of the AFP Modernization Program.

“Next, we are embarking into a what we call the ‘Rehorizoned 3’ capability enhancement and modernization program where the President recently approved an array of capabilities,” he said.

Teodoro said these will range from domain awareness, connectivity, intelligence capabilities of C4ISTAR communication, command and control, and deterrence capabilities on maritime and aerial domains.

On Wednesday, Philippine Navy spokesperson for West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said $35 billion or more than P2 trillion has been allotted for the Horizon 3.

"Hindi ito one-shot deal. Hindi ito pagkatapos ay nandoon na tayo. Ito ay continuing. May assessments ito. It will be a continuing program to develop our capability," he said.

(This is not a one-shot deal. It is continuing and assessments will be made. It will be a continuing program to develop our capability.)

"May iba't ibang kakayahan ito for the AFP. Cyber, command and control capabilities, sea, air, land capabilities," he added.

(It is for different capabilities for the AFP—cyber, command and control capabilities, sea, air, land capabilities.)

— RSJ, GMA Integrated News