DND bidding out AFP helicopter contract
By JAIME LAUDE
The Philippine Star
The government is acquiring six modern night-capable attack helicopters for P1.2
billion to gradually upgrade the Philippine Air Force fleet.
Defense Undersecretary for Operations Ricardo Blancaflor said at least five
foreign suppliers have signified their intention to supply the country with the
refurbished helicopters.
The suppliers are from the United States, China, Russia, France and Italy, he
said.
Blancaflor said the defense pre-bidding conference for the acquisition of the
attack helicopters, initially set for Jan. 4, was moved to Feb. 8.
"The pre-bid conference has been postponed because the membership of the defense
Board and Awards Committee is not yet complete," he said.
Blancaflor said the winner of the Feb. 8 open bidding would be known on Feb. 22,
and that before year's end, the Air Force is expected to be flying the
refurbished helicopter gunships.
"We are not buying UH-1Hs," he said. "We are not buying brand-new choppers, but
they are refurbished night-capable attack helicopters."
Blancaflor said on top of the six attack helicopters, other defense acquisitions
aimed at upgrading the fighting capability of the Armed Forces are "already in
the pipeline."
"Without compromising transparency, we are now rushing things up, doing away
with the bureaucracy for the capability upgrade of the military because the
President wanted to see results," he said.
Blancaflor said Mrs. Arroyo wanted to see results during her term as acting
defense secretary for two months.
"The President has prescribed a shortened procurement time for military
acquisition without sacrificing transparency," he said.
Blancaflor described the approved P707-million contract to upgrade three
Jacinto-Class Patrol Vessels, two Patrol Killer Medium gunboats and two
Britten-Norman Islander aircraft.
Mrs. Arroyo approved the P707-million contract to put back on top operational
shape before the year ends, five gunboats and two Britten-Norman Islander, which
the defense department had acquired from South Korea, he added.
Blancaflor said in the next few weeks, the defense department will also bid out
to interested suppliers modern combat equipment for the Philippine Army.
"When these military gadgets are acquired, the Army can easily find and fix the
enemies anytime of the day," he said.
These military equipment will be the night vision goggles, night scopes and the
Harris radio, he added.
The US supplier is offering to sell the deadly attack Cobra helicopter; China,
the attack Phoenix gunship; France, the equally versatile Euro Copten attack
helicopter; Russia, the "Hinds" transport and attack helicopter, while Italy is
offering its Augusta Westland gunship.
The Hind is the equivalent of the US Chinook, which could be used either as
transport or as attack helicopter.
Bases on the DND's estimate from its total programmed acquisition budget of P1.2
billion, each helicopter gunship would cost P210 million or $4.294 million.
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