The last two AgustaWestland AW-109E "Power"
helicopters, out of the five ordered by the Philippine Navy (PN), have arrived
in the country Sunday.
This was confirmed by Navy spokesperson Col. Edgard Arevalo
in a message to the PNA Monday.
"They (AW-109 airframes) have arrived yesterday
(Sunday). Being assembled today," he said.
He did not give specifics on when and how the airframes
arrived.
But PN public affairs office chief Lt. Cmdr. Marineth
Domingo said that the AW-109 airframes were transported by cargo aircraft to
Ninoy Aquino International Airport, in Pasay Sunday.
She added that the aircraft and its components are now being
assembled at a facility she did not identify for security and safety reasons.
Earlier, the PN said that the two AW-109s will be
tentatively delivered Monday and commissioned on Jan. 16, 2015 after testing.
The latest delivery is part of the five helicopters
contracted by the Department of National Defense (DND) with AgustaWestland in
2013 worth Php1.33 billion.
The AW-109Es will be armed with machine guns, 20mm cannons
and possibly, with air-to-ground rockets.
The AW-109 "Power" helicopter is a three-ton class
eight-seat helicopter powered by two Pratt and Whitney PW206C engines.
The spacious cabin is designed to be fitted with a number of
modular equipment packages for quick and easy conversion between roles.
The aircraft’s safety features include a fully separated
fuel system, dual hydraulic boost system, dual electrical systems and redundant
lubrication and cooling systems for the main transmission and engines.
The AW-109 has established itself as the world’s best
selling light-twin helicopter for maritime missions.
Over 550 AW-109 "Power" and AW-109 light utility
helicopters have been ordered for commercial, parapublic and military
applications by customers in almost 50 countries.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=720168
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