PN's AW-109 joins search for missing Malaysian airliner

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 13): PN's AW-109 joins search for missing Malaysian airliner

For the very first time, the Philippine Navy (PN) has deployed one of its AgustaWestland AW-109 "Power" helicopters to help in the ongoing search for the Malaysia Airlines plane which went missing since last March 8.

Lt. Cmdr. Gregory Fabic, Navy spokesperson, said the PN aircraft is now operating in tandem with the BRP Gregorio Del Pilar (PF-15).

"Our AW-109 is operating and taking off the flight deck of BRP Gregorio Del Pilar," he added.

Fabic declined to give the exact location of the ship due to security reasons but stressed that the vessel is operating somewhere off the West Philippine Sea.

He added that the ship and the AW-109 have been helping in the search since March 9. The latter aircraft was delivered to the Philippines and commissioned last December.

The AW-109 is expected to make its first shipboard deployment by the end of March.

Fabic said that this is the first time that BRP Gregorio Del Pilar worked with the AW-109 which it is assigned helicopter.

"The BRP Gregorio Del Pilar is operating with BRP Apolinario Mabini (PS-36) and BRP Emilio Jacinto (PS-35) along with one Norman Britten 'Islander' aircraft and the Air Force's Fokker F-27 'Friendship' plane," the PN spokesperson said.

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