On Friday, January 23, 2026, the press service of the Philippine Air Force (Hukbong Himpapawid ng Pilipinas; PAF) announced on social media that a ceremony marking the entry into service of five S-70i Black Hawk International multirole helicopters was held at Colonel Jesus Villamor Air Base in Pasay on the island of Luzon. The helicopters were delivered by PZL Mielec.
Photos: Hukbong Himpapawid ng Pilipinas via Facebook
The helicopters arrived in the Philippines aboard an An-124-100 Ruslan heavy transport aircraft operated by Antonov Airlines and were subjected to rigorous technical inspection and acceptance procedures conducted by a joint commission from the Department of National Defense and the commands of the armed forces and air force to ensure compliance with all technical standards and user specifications. The acceptance process also included eight 7.62-mm electrically driven, multi-barrel Dillon M134D-H machine guns, which form part of the helicopters’ armament.
The ceremony, conducted by the Air Force Systems Engineering and Modernization Office (AFSEMO), was attended by Acting Secretary of the Department of Budget and Management Rolando U. Toledo and the Commander of the Philippine Air Force, Arthur M. Cordura.
During the event, the helicopters and their weapons documentation were formally accepted into service by Brig. Gen. Moises L. Micor, commander of the 205th Helicopter Wing. It was emphasized that the new air assets are expected to significantly enhance the air mobility, operational readiness, and disaster-response capabilities of the Philippine Air Force (in November last year, the Philippines were struck by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, during which the already operational Black Hawk helicopters were actively involved in evacuation and relief operations – editor’s note).
In his address, Rolando U. Toledo underscored the strategic importance of modernizing the Air Force, stating that a modern, capable, and mission-ready Air Force is no longer optional but essential. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring that the PAF remains prepared to meet evolving security challenges and humanitarian assistance requirements.
As reported, the acquisition of these helicopters reflects the Philippine Air Force’s ongoing efforts to strengthen mission readiness, support joint and combined operations, and respond effectively to national security and humanitarian assistance requirements. Through capability development initiatives under the Philippine Air Force Modernization Program, the PAF remains committed to building a mission-oriented, capability- and values-based force ready to meet the country’s dynamic needs.
This marks the fifth batch of new rotorcraft from an order totaling 32 aircraft. Previous acceptance ceremonies took place on December 9 and June 10, 2024, as well as on August 13 and October 31, 2025. Each batch consisted of five helicopters, bringing the total delivered so far to 25 units, leaving seven helicopters still to be delivered to fulfill the contract.
It is worth recalling that on February 22, 2022, the Department of National Defense announced the signing of a contract worth 32 billion PHP with PZL Mielec for the delivery of 32 S-70i Black Hawk International helicopters, which are to be assembled in Poland. The contract was signed at the Ministry of National Defense headquarters at Camp Aguinaldo in Manila by then–Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana and PZL Mielec President and CEO Janusz Zakręcki. The acquisition of additional helicopters of this type was approved on January 16, 2022, while a preliminary agreement with PZL Mielec had been concluded on December 28, 2021. The detailed contract includes an initial logistics support package as well as a training package covering both pilots and ground personnel.
The new helicopters will join 15 previously operated aircraft (out of an original order of 16 helicopters—one crashed during a night training flight from Colonel Ernesto Rabina Air Base on June 23–24, 2021), which were delivered in 2020–2021.
On September 10, 2022, Philippine media reported plans to acquire a third batch of S-70i Black Hawk International multirole helicopters, potentially numbering up to 16 aircraft. If completed, the total fleet would increase to 63 helicopters, unless Manila decides to purchase one additional aircraft to replace the unit lost in an accident.
In September 2023, Lockheed Martin designated Asian Aerospace as the official authorized provider of spare parts and maintenance services for the Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopter family in the Philippines.
PAF NEWS | 5TH BATCH OF BLACK HAWKS STRENGTHENS PAF HELICOPTER FLEET
See full story:https://t.co/s9LHy4X6Fc#FocusPAF #GuardiansofOurPreciousSkies #PAFYouCanTrust #OneAFPOnePhilippines #StrongAirForceStrongPhilippines #AFPYouCanTrust #MatatagNaSandigan #AFP90 pic.twitter.com/caN83wWb3H
— Philippine Air Force (@PhilAirForce) January 23, 2026
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