Manila’s fleet of Sikorsky S-70i Black Hawk helicopters continues to grow, with 10 additional rotorcraft delivered during 2024.
The 10 deliveries of the PZL Mielec-produced rotorcraft stem from a 2022 order for 32 Black Hawks.
The Philippine air force says that the first five S-70is were delivered in June 2024, followed by five in December. The deliveries take Manila’s total fleet of S-70is to 25 examples.
Sikorsky parent Lockheed Martin says the remaining 22 helicopters will be delivered “over the next two years.”
Ultimately Manila will operate 47 S-70is.
“When deliveries are completed, the Philippines will have the largest fleet of S-70i Black Hawks in the world, growing the global fleet of Black Hawks which supports interoperability and commonality and is a key deterrence and security advantage in the Indo-Pacific,” says Hamid Salim, viceapresident of army and air force systems at Sikorsky.
Lockheed adds that it has invested in local support operations in the Philippines for the S-70i fleet.
LOCKHEED’S AUSTRALIA BOSS STEPS DOWN AFTER JUST SIX WEEKS
The chief executive of Lockheed Martin Australia and New Zealand, Steve Roberton, has stepped down from the job for “personal reasons”, says the company.
The move comes just six weeks after Lockheed announced the appointment of Roberton, a former officer in the Royal Australian Air Force, on 1 December 2024.
Roberton is succeeded by Warren McDonald, who held the job for three years before Roberton replaced him.
