Philippines grows its S-70i fleet with 10 new deliveries
The 10 helicopters delivered throughout 2024 make up part of a larger contract for 32 Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopters for the country.
Leidos has received a $20.95 million, one-year contract modification from US Army Contracting Command to continue providing over-the-horizon contractor logistics support from the UAE for Mi-17 helicopters and Pilatus PC-12 turboprop aircraft formerly operated by the Special Mission Wing of the Afghan Air Force (AAF).
FY2021 Afghanistan Security Forces Funds worth $20.95 million were obligated at the time of the award, the DoD announced on 31 August.
Several Mi-17s and PC-12s were flown to Uzbekistan after the Afghan government collapsed in mid-August 2021.
The most recent data from Shephard Defence Insight, collected before the Taliban victory in Afghanistan, showed that about 40 Mi-17s remain in service in Afghanistan out of a total of 301 delivered.
A total of 18 PC-12s were in service with the AAF, having been provided in 2015 for the Special Mission Wing via an FMS deal.
The 10 helicopters delivered throughout 2024 make up part of a larger contract for 32 Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopters for the country.
The Airbus rotorcraft will replace the French Air Force’s Puma helicopters, following the initial contract signing in 2021.
According to local media sources, thousands of drones destined for Ukraine are currently stuck in warehouses due to bureaucratic delays.
US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall has said that China would continue to be a “problem” for the development of the service’s fleet over the coming decades.
The Thai government minister expressed confidence in the aircraft type, noting that a decision on the selection process between the Gripen and F-16 would be “made soon”.
The Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) report highlighted issues with opening the programme to other international partners, as well as notable gaps in future training requirement for the sixth-generation aircraft.