First Time: Armed Navy AW-109 helicopter lands on BRP Ramon Alcaraz

From Ang Malaya (Aug 18): First Time: Armed Navy AW-109 helicopter lands on BRP Ramon Alcaraz

A week after the entering service, one of Philippine Navy’s two armed Augustawestland AW-109E helicopters made a landing on BRP Ramon Alcaraz. This was reported through the Navy vessel’s official social networking page.

“Only a few days after its christening, one of the two armed Augusta Westland (AW109) helicopters landed on BRP Ramon Alcaraz for the first time,” says in the post. “The helicopter landing was part of the ship’s Operational Readiness Evaluation (ORE) 2015.”

Two armed Augustawestland AW-109 helicopters formally entered the naval force August 10.

The Navy now has five commissioned AW-109Es, two of which are armed with Rocket Machine Gun Pod system on both sides, comprising of 12.7mm (.50 caliber) machine gun, a NATO Standard 2.75inch/70mm 3-tube rocket launcher and a 400-round machine gun ammunition box.

http://www.angmalaya.net/nation/2015/08/18/12792-first-time-armed-navy-aw-109-helicopter-lands-on-brp-ramon-alcaraz