These brand new so-called Sokol helicopters, described as much better than the Hueys, were operationalized on Monday by the Philippine Air Force at Clark Freeport, Pampanga.
The military has purchased eight such choppers costing a total of P2.8 billion for this year.
Photo by Ding Cervantes
CLARK FREEPORT – The Philippine Air Force (PAF) operationalized here on Monday its first four Polish helicopters, each costing P700 million, which looks like the old fashioned US-made Hueys but reputed to be “much better.”
Air Force spokesperson Lt. Col. Miguel Ernesto Okol said the four so-called W-3A Sokol helicopters (Sokol) comprise the first batch of eight such aircraft, costing a total of P2.8 billion, to be operationalized this year under the military’s modernization program.
The last four helicopters would be in operation by November this year, he noted.
The aircraft has been described as a “combat-utility” helicopter. The first four were turned over yesterday to the 205th Tactical Operations Wing.
Ocol said the four Sokol helicopters, whose blessing here yesterday was led by Defense Sec. Voltaire Gazmin, arrived last month via the giant Russian cargo plane AN-126 and were fitted with their rotor blades here.
They were described as “combat-utility helicopters.”
“The helicopter looks like a Huey but it is much better than our Hueys because they have two engines, have better lift capacity, can carry more passengers, and have more depth in terms of range,” he said in an interview.
The Sokol helicopters were the first to be fully designed by the Polish firm PZL-Swidnik, in cooperation with the Italian manufacturer Augusta Westland Co., and have certifications from the European Safety Agency and the US Federal Aviation Administration.
Okol said the Sokol helicopter allows “quick aircraft configuration” to adapt to various missions such as transport of troops or VIP’s and cargo. It could also be transformed to suit emergency medical missions, evacuations and search and rescue operations.
A Sokol helicopter can accommodate two pilots, two crew personnel, and nine passengers.
Converted for rescue mission, it has enough space for two pilots, two crewmen, three medical attendants and six rescued survivors, while as air borne ambulance, it would accommodate four medical stretchers and medical attendant apart from the pilots and crewmen, Okol noted.
The Sokol helicopter is 48.8 feet long and 16.10 feet tall, with a speed of 260 kilometers per hour capable of travelling non-stop for 4.3 hours on standard fuel tank or 6.7 hours with auxiliary tanks.
Okol could not immediately say how much funds are available for modernization of the air force this year, but noted that two C-130 aircraft are now undergoing maintenance, one in the US and the other here at Clark.
“We are studying the cost-benefit ratio of having them maintained here or in the US, since all the parts are imported. If we find that local maintenance is less expensive, then we will have all aircraft maintained here in the future,” he said.
The C-130 is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings. It was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation and cargo transport aircraft.
