AIRCRAFT manufacturer Sikorsky has signed an agreement with Philippine firm Asian Aerospace Corp., making the latter the only original equipment manufacturer (OEM)-authorized reseller of spare parts and repair services for Black Hawk helicopters in the country.
“Sikorsky has partnered with Asian Aerospace to bid on public tenders, leveraging their local expertise to navigate the Philippine procurement processes quickly and efficiently. This will put OEM-approved, high-quality parts in the hands of the customers to support their rapidly growing fleet,” Sikorsky Global Sustainment Director Felipe Benvegnu said in a statement on Wednesday.
“Sikorsky is establishing scalable strategies to support the sustainment needs of the growing fleet, and Asian Aerospace is a key component to that strategy,” he added.
The Philippine Air Force currently has 15 S-70i Black Hawk helicopters and is set to take delivery of 32 additional units over the next three years, making it the largest operator of the model in the world.
“We’re excited to partner with Sikorsky to deliver authorized parts and high-quality repair services for our Black Hawk customers here in the Philippines. This alliance ensures timely and dedicated support to the largest S-70i Black Hawk fleet in the world,” Asian Aerospace Executive Vice-President Peter Angelo Rodriguez said.
The S-70 Black Hawk is manufactured at Lockheed Martin’s PZL Mielec facility in Poland. The helicopter is a utility aircraft worldwide, featuring unmatched multi-mission versatility and military-grade airworthiness capable of operating in extreme weather conditions, day or night.
Sikorsky is under US-based Lockheed Martin, which is a global security and aerospace company that has about 116,000 employees worldwide. It is engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration, and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.
Based on its website, Asian Aerospace has business interests in aircraft charters, aircraft service, aircraft distributorships, fixed-based operations, and aerospace and ground support equipment. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave
