US attack helicopters for Manila – will it or won’t it?
The Philippine Air Force’s (PAF's) desire to obtain new dedicated attack helicopters lurched forward on 30 April, when the US State Department announced a potential FMS of either Bell AH-1Z Viper or Boeing AH-64E Apache aircraft.
According to the State Department: ‘The Philippines is considering either the AH-64E or the AH-1Z to modernise its attack helicopter capabilities.’
For a long time, the Turkish Aerospace T129 Atak helicopter has been the preferred choice for the PAF.
Unfortunately for Manila, however, the sale of Turkish helicopters could quickly snarl to a halt due to political red tape, since there are fears the
Already have an account? Log in
Want to keep reading this article?
Read this Article
Get access to this article with a Free Basic Account
- Original curated content, daily across air, land and naval domains
- 2 free stories per week
- Personalised news alerts
- Daily and weekly newsletters
Unlimited Access
Access to all our premium news as a Premium News 365 Member. Corporate subscriptions available.
- Original curated content, daily across air, land and naval domains
- 14-day free trial (cancel at any time)
- Unlimited access to all published premium news
More from Air Warfare
-
Lockheed Martin signs with Patria for F-35 landing gear doors
Finland’s purchase of F-35A aircraft was approved as a Foreign Military Sale (FMS) in October 2020 and 14 months later the aircraft was selected by the Finnish government. The FMS announcement noted a deal for 64 F-35A aircraft along with missiles, munitions and related equipment for an estimated cost of US$12.5 billion.
-
Turkey completes first AESA radar flight test on F-16 Ozgur with drone trials imminent “within days”
Turkey’s homegrown MURAD radar system has promised to enhance Turkish air combat missions, offering simultaneous air-to-air and air-to-ground functionality, enhanced target detection and EW capabilities.
-
US Navy orders 17 new Super Hornets
New contract awarded to Boeing will see the delivery of 17 new F/A-18 Block III Super Hornet fighters and critical technical data.