Philippines to scrap P12-B helicopter deal with Bell Helicopter and Canadian Commercial Corporation

The Department of National Defense (DND) is now preparing the letter for the cancellation of the purchase of 16 Bell EPI combat utility helicopters (CUHs) worth PHP12 billion from Canada.

Photo by Hukbong Sandatahan ng Pilipinas Fb page

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Monday he will sign the letter anytime this week.

“The formal letter cancelling the contract is being prepared and I will sign it this week. We are looking at Korea, Russia, China and Turkey and other countries for our the medium lift helicopters in lieu of the Bell 412,” Lorenzana emphasized.

But he admitted that the cancellation will affect the DND project to acquire medium-lift helicopters as this has set the process “back to square one”.

The cancellation came in wake of the Canadian government’s move to review the deal after receiving reports that the Philippines is planning to use the helicopters against rebel forces, a claim strongly denied by the DND and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
This prompted President Rodrigo Duterte to order the DND and AFP to cancel the deal with Bell Helicopter and Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC) which is licensed to manufacture the Bell 412 EPI being ordered by country.

Earlier, the DND chief said that they are more than enough suppliers to meet the Philippine requirement for CUHs should the country’s contract with Bell Helicopter and CCC fall through or be terminated.

“Are there other suppliers if the Canada deal will not push through? Yes, there are,” Lorenzana stressed.

Earlier, AFP deputy chief of staff for plans Major Gen. Restituto Padilla said from the onset both Bell Helicopter and CCC are aware that the soon-to-be acquired 16 Bell 412 EPI choppers will be utilized as “combat utility helicopter”.

“The AFP deal for the acquisition of the Canadian Bell 412 as a combat utility helicopter is a very transparent one. From the very onset, the contract has specified that we are acquiring a CUH,” he added.

“It’s intended use as combat utility helicopter is for the transport of troops especially combat casualties and for troop sustainment. It is not an offensive platform and not armed as such. We have dedicated attack helicopters as offensive platforms for such operations,” the military official pointed out.

And since the Philippines lies in the path of the Pacific Rim of Fire, a disaster prone area, Padilla said the nation’s disaster response plan had tasked the AFP to take the lead in undertaking humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) during such times of contingencies.

On Dec. 29, 2017, Lorenzana and representatives of Bell Helicopter and CCC signed the deal for the purchase of the helicopters worth PHP12 billion. Representing Bell Helicopter in the contract signing was James Williamson and Yvonne Chin, CCC Director for Asia.

Delivery of the first Bell 412 EPI helicopters units are supposed to start by the first quarter of 2019 while the last batch will be handed over by the second quarter of 2020.

Acquisition of these helicopters is part of the AFP Modernization Program Horizon 2 and will be use in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief and other-related missions.

These aircraft are fully configured and equipped with advance features, which includes an electronic engine control, a glass cockpit display system and Garmin touchscreen navigation system. Generally, these helicopters are capable of carrying 14 passengers and flying at a maximum speed of 140 knots (around 259 kilometers), cruise speed of 122 knots (226 kilometers per hour) and a range of 402 nautical miles (745 kilometers). It is powered with an enhanced Pratt and Whitney PT6T-3D Twin Pac.

Article source: PTV News

Canadian Navy ship arrives in Manila for a goodwill visit - Philippine Navy

MANILA, Philippines—A Royal Canadian Navy ship arrived in Manila Tuesday for a goodwill visit, the Philippine Navy said. 

Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Regina (FFH334) arrived at the Port of Manila about 1 p.m. The visit was part of “strengthening the diplomatic relation between the two countries,” said Philippine Navy spokesman Lieutenant Commander Gregory Gerald Fabic. 

The ship, composed of 42 officers and 219 enlisted personnel, is led by Commander Jason Boyd.
The ship is docked at Pier 13 in South Harbor until Saturday. 

“In this connection, Philippine Navy personnel and the ship’s crew will have professional exchange discussion and sports events. It will help enhance the skills and expertise and foster a bond of friendship among navies,” Fabic said. 
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Frances Mangosing | INQUIRER.net | February 12, 2013 | Article Link

Military ready for Pacific Partnership 2012

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will host the largest annual humanitarian and civic assistance mission in the Pacific sponsored by the US Pacific Fleet. 

The Pacific Partnership 2012 will focus on the province of Samar from June 18 to July 1 with the conduct of civic action programs and humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) activities.

This year’s partner nations will include Thailand, Australia, Malaysia, Canada, France, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, Korea, Chile, Peru, and Netherlands, the AFP said in a statement. 

Foreign non-government organizations (NGO) like the Project Hope, Oceanit, World Vets, and Vietnam Medical Assistance Program will also join local NGOs in the implementation of engineering civic action programs; medical civic action programs, dental civic action programs, and veterinary civic action programs; and HADR lectures and seminars.

The AFP will also maximize the participation of reservists in the conduct of Pacific Partnership 2012 as part of the AFP Chief of Staff General Jessie D. Dellosa’s directive to mobilize reservists and highlight their roles in the implementation of humanitarian assistance, disaster response, and other civil military operations.

This has also been the case with the successful implementation of the “territorial battalion” of the 24th Infantry Battalion in Zambales where reservists joined regular soldiers to form Bayanihan Patrol Teams where they were involved in providing community services, developmental activities, rescue and relief operations, medical and dental mission assistance, environmental protection engagements, youth leadership seminars and civil military activities.

The Pacific Partnership 2012 was rooted from humanitarian initiatives following the tsunami that hit Indonesia in 2004 and killed more than 200,000 people. It was developed by the US Navy in a “whole of government” approach of American policy in the Pacific.

The Pacific Partnership 2012 will adopt the motto, “Prepare in Calm to Respond in Crisis” in addressing necessary precautions in calamity prone countries in the Pacific. 

The AFP Central Command will organize and inter-agency task force that is expected to include the Philippine National Police, the Philippine Coast Guard, and local government units to ensure close coordination and security in the activities.

Meanwhile, Dellosa welcomed the Pacific Partnership 2012 as another means to expand partnership and cooperation with foreign nations. 

“The Pacific Partnership 2012 will come with a vast source of opportunities in building strong and stable relationships with our foreign partners,” said Dellosa.

“There will also be opportunities for our soldiers, particularly our engineers and reservists, to expand their knowledge with new approaches in the conduct of humanitarian, disaster response, community relations, and civic action programs that are important as we continue to innovate our preparations for the different tests and challenges that come our way,” Dellosa added.

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Ian Campo Flora | SunStar.Com.Ph | May 19, 2012 | Article Link