Lockheed Martin today announced the delivery of five new Black Hawk® helicopters to the Philippine Air Force. This milestone contributes to the ongoing modernization of the country’s defense capabilities and reinforces its position as a key member of the global fleet of Black Hawk operators. For example, in exercises in April, the PAF used their Black Hawks as part of a joint training exercise conducted by the 205th Tactical Helicopter Wing in coordination with the Philippine Navy aboard the BRP Davao del Sur. In May, the PAF and the U.S. Air Force completed the joint Cope Thunder Philippines that involved aircraft from both fleets. The PAF S-70i Black Hawks were part of a comprehensive program of flight and field training exercises.
“The Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopter’s proven track record in enhancing interoperability and joint readiness, as demonstrated in exercises like Cope Thunder 2025, will continue to drive cooperation and commonality between the United States and the Philippines,” said Bill Blair, Lockheed Martin, Vice President and Regional Chief Executive, Asia & India. “The Black Hawk helicopter’s versatility in disaster response, humanitarian aid, and infrastructure protection has been instrumental in amplifying national resilience and advancement, and we are committed to supporting the Philippine Air Force in their mission to protect and serve the Filipino people.”
Also in Philippines operations, the Air Force has used these reliable Black Hawks to regularly transport relief goods and critical supplies to calamity-stricken areas, most recently during the Super Typhon Ofel that hit Cagayan province in November. The aircraft were used for rapid damage assessment of areas severely battered by these typhoons. The versatile Black Hawks, which can be configured for many missions including firefighting, responded to a massive fire that broke out in Tondo, Manila in November. PAF deployed multiple aircraft, including Black Hawks, to conduct helibucket operations, completing 15 sorties. The delivery of these five new Black Hawk helicopters reinforces Lockheed Martin’s commitment to supporting the Philippine Air Force and contributing to the country’s defense and security capabilities.
The BLACK HAWK® Helicopter is the world’s most versatile utility helicopter with 4,000 flying worldwide in 36 countries and 15 million flight hours, including over 5 million combat hours. The BLACK HAWK Helicopter has proven itself in the most austere of environments providing an operational readiness rate of over 92% in combat conditions. The S-70 is the commercial version of the U.S. Army’s UH-60 BLACK HAWK. Built on the same proven technology, the S-70 is available globally for Direct Commercial Sale, and can be outfitted for a wide range of missions, from law enforcement and border patrol to firefighting and search and rescue. S-70i Black Hawk is an international military version assembled by Sikorsky’s subsidiary, PZL Mielec in Poland.
