Black Hawk choppers will transport vaccines to remote areas, says DND

Six newly-commissioned Black Hawk helicopters will be used to take vaccines to far-flung areas as the country prepares for its inoculation rollout, the Department of National Defense said on Saturday.

In a statement, DND spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said the choppers could be used to perform various functions "in a variety of situations," with the agency aiming to upgrade and expand the helicopter fleet of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

"For instance, they can and will be used in airlifting relief goods and first responders during disasters, as well as ferry supplies such as perishable vaccines and medicines to far-flung areas that are difficult to reach by land," he said.

Further, the Black Hawk transport choppers will be used to evacuate people during emergencies, and fly critically-ill or injured patients to medical facilities.

"For a country constantly beset by calamities and currently battling a pandemic, transport helicopters like the Black Hawks are an absolutely necessary asset in our inventory that will allow the Armed Forces to respond efficiently and effectively to critical situations," Andolong said.

President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the acquisition of 15 Black Hawk helicopters after seven people were killed when an Air Force chopper crashed in Bukidnon last month, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said.

Nograles said the President initially wanted to acquire 55 new helicopters but this was reduced to 15 as the country faces other concerns such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recently, the Air Force commissioned the first six of 16 Polish-made Sikorsky S-70i Black Hawk helicopters ordered in 2019.

The remaining 10 units are expected to be delivered within the first quarter of 2021, defense officials said. —LBG, GMA News