MANILA (PNA) -- The Philippine Navy (PN) has announced that its two armed AgustaWestland AW-109 "Power" helicopters will be commissioned during its 117th anniversary on May 27.
"We're hoping to commission them by our anniversary this May," Navy spokesperson Col. Edgard Arevalo said in a message to the PNA on Sunday.
The two armed AW-109 airframes arrived in the country last December as part of the five-helicopter deal, worth PhP1.33 billion, signed by the Philippines with AgustaWestland in early 2013.
Three of the AW-109s were delivered and commissioned on Dec. 22, 2013.
The armed versions of the AW-109s will be armed will have machine guns, 20mm cannons and possibly with air-to-ground rockets.
The AW-109 "Power" helicopter is a three-ton class eight-seat helicopter powered by two Pratt and Whitney PW206C engines.
The spacious cabin is designed to be fitted with a number of modular equipment packages for quick and easy conversion between roles.
The aircraft’s safety features include a fully separated fuel system, dual hydraulic boost system, dual electrical systems and redundant lubrication and cooling systems for the main transmission and engines.
The AW-109 has established itself as the world’s best selling light-twin helicopter for maritime missions.
Its superior speed, capacity and productivity combined with reliability and ease of maintenance make it the most cost effective maritime helicopter in its class.
For shipboard operations, the aircraft has a reinforced-wheeled landing gear and deck mooring points as well as extensive corrosion protection measures.
The ability to operate from small ships in high sea state enables the AW-109 to perform its mission when many others helicopters would be confined to the ship’s hangar.
Over 550 AW-109 "Power" and AW-109 light utility helicopters have been ordered for commercial, parapublic and military applications by customers in almost 50 countries.
(PNA)
If the captioned picture is the real unit for the Philippine Navy, I doubt it that it will mount a 20mm gun pod. The dimensions of the pod shown is a .50 cal. gun pod which is shorter & stouter while the 20mm is longer & sleeker. Moreover, for sure the compliment pod for this is a 7 round 2.75mm rocket pod since the unguided rockets are being manufactured locally in the Philippines.
BalasHapusThat pod is an FN RMP LC - .50 cal + 3 -2.75 rockets. It carries 250 ammo and the unguided rockets. I also think it will not have a 20mm but may have those side door mounted Dillons.
HapusOne good alternative to APKWS is the Cirit PGM's from Turkey. They are guided 2.75 rockets that cost around 6,000 dollars each and has a range of over 6 km.
Defence companies around the world has been researching for cheaper alternative to the more expensive air to surface missile like the TOW and its derivatives. One example is the APKWS II (Advanced Precision Kill Weapons System) made by BAE Systems, which cost $28,000 a pop. This may be cheap for developed countries, but this is still too expensive for other countries. There are alternatives on a works, like the Forward Firing Miniature Munition (F2M2, or Spike missile), from the Naval Air Weapons Station in China Lake, California which cost $5,000 a pop which is 6 times cheaper than the APKWS II but the drawback is it’s still the prototype stage and the initial range is only 1.5km which is too short. So countries still could not afford guided munitions or missiles will still be using the unguided 2.75mm rocket in the foreseeable future.
BalasHapus