With Typhoon "Glenda" fast approaching and now beginning to batter large parts of the country, the Philippine Air Force (PAF) on Tuesday announced that all of its available aircraft and troops are being readied for possible humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) missions.
Lt. Col. Enrico Canaya, PAF spokesperson, said that 11 teams with about 150 trained personnel are now already assembled and on stand-by at the gymnasium in Col. Jesus Villamor Air Base in
They will be equipped with M-35 trucks, rubber boats and ambulance.
Canaya added that another 12 teams composed of around 400 trained personnel with equipment located at Clark Air base, Pampanga; Fernando Air Base, Lipa City; Basa Air Base, Pampanga; Antonio Bautista Air Base, Palawan; Brig. Gen. Benito Ebuan Air Base, Cebu, Edwin Andrews Air Base, Zamboanga and in different areas in the country were directed to ready their disaster response capability as early as Monday.
As this develops, the PAF spokesperson said that all of its aircraft are now sheltered inside various hangars to protect them from damage caused by flying debris.
Air Force hangars can withstand a maximum wind of 250 kph.
However, as soon as it will be safe to fly, these PAF assets will be rolled out of the hangars and perform missions in support to humanitarian assistance and disaster response, recovery efforts, search and rescue and other missions as directed by higher headquarters.
Aircraft expected to perform these missions include the W-3 Sokol, S-76 Air Ambulance, Huey II helicopters of the 505th Search and Rescue Group, UH-1Hs of 205th Tactical Helicopter Wing and C-130s of the 220th Airlift Wing.
The Northern Luzon Command and Southern Luzon Command have two UH-1Hs each at their disposition but were also currently secured inside a hangar in their respective area of responsibility.
Canaya said that this is line with the directive of PAF chief Lt. Gen. Jeffrey F. Delgado AFP which seeks to enhance to capability of the Air Force in HADR missions.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=662732
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