This was
announced during the Air Power Symposium 2012 held at the SMX Convention
Center, Mall of Asia in Pasay City on Friday as part of its preparation for the
forthcoming 65th PAF anniversary celebration on July 6.
The
symposium was hosted by Lt. Gen. Lauro Catalino G. de la Cruz, PAF commanding
general.
This year’s
theme was “Mobilizing Air Power for the Nation’s Multi-Dimensional Challenges.”
De la Cruz
said four of the helicopters will be the last of the eight brand-new combat
utility Sokol choppers the Department of National Defense ordered from PZL Swidnik
of Poland.
The arrival
of the final four Sokol helicopters will boost the firepower of the PAF which
is in dire need of air assets, particularly fighter jets.
PZL Swidnik
is the largest helicopter manufacturer in Poland.
The Sokol
helicopter can carry 14 persons, including the pilot and co-pilot and has a
maximum speed of 260 kilometers per hour and a range of 745 kilometers
non-stop.
Each Sokol
is armed with a variety of weapons such as air-to-ground rockets, air-to-air
missiles, M-60 machine guns and 20mm cannons and climbs to an altitude of
19,680 feet.
The contract
price of the Sokol choppers was P3 billion.
On the other
hand, 21 refurbished UH-1H “Huey” helicopters will also be delivered in
December this year.
“Hueys” are
not only the workhorse of the military’s counter-insurgency operations in
ferrying troops to combat areas but are also used during disasters, carrying
food, water and medicines for victims stranded in remote areas.
Some of the
21 “Huey” helicopters were refurbished in the United States and the others were
done by PAF engineers and aircraft mechanics.
The
acquisition of new combat helicopters is part of the Modernization Program of
the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
During the
day-long affair, De la Cruz said the symposium, which is an annual event of the
Air Force since 1982, except for some broken years, “is designed primarily to
discuss and promote the value of air power to a wider constituency.”
But for
2012, the forum was unique as it included the holding of “a 5-in-1 activity --
an academic forum, an air power symposium, a defense exhibit, a historical
photo display, and the first Youth LEAP or Youth Leader Exchange for Air Power
gathering.”
“We are
holding this event no longer to cater mainly to an internal audience or our
friends in aviation, but to a greater multi-sectoral representation of national
security stakeholders and partners.”
De la Cruz
stressed the importance of air power in the country’s defense.
“Today we
all live in a highly complex and unpredictable security environment, and that
the threats we face demand from us no easy solutions.”
Taking
advantage of today’s new technology, De la Cruz allowed questions asked via the
Internet, Twitter, Facebook, or mobile phones.
The
questions were flashed on the wide screen during the question-and-answer
portion of the symposium that turned out to be more lively.
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