(Eagle News)–Six newly-commissioned Black Hawk helicopters will take COVID-19 vaccines to far-flung areas.
In a statement, Defense spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said the helicopters “can and will also be used in airlifting relief goods and first responders during disasters.”
The remaining ten ordered in 2019 are expected to arrive this year.
“For a country constantly beset by calamities and currently battling a pandemic, transport helicopters like the Black Hawks are an absolutely necessary asset in our inventory that will allow the Armed Forces to respond efficiently and effectively to critical situations,” Andolong said.
The 16 S-70i brand new helicopters purchased by the Philippines from Poland arrived in December last year.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana had said the Philippines was supposed to purchase the helicopters from Canada but the deal was scrapped over claims of human rights violations in the Philippines.
The COVID-19 vaccination program in the Philippines is expected to start this year.
The government said it was targeting vaccination of 50 to 60 percent of the population to achieve herd immunity.
On Friday, the government released the list of priority groups for the program.
The Food and Drug Administration has so far issued emergency use authorization for the Astrazeneca and Pfizer-BioNtech vaccines.
Over 9 million vaccine doses securedunder the Covax facility are expected to arrive by April.