Philippine Air Force

[Arianespace]

The undelivered Philippine Air Force helicopter behind President Putin as he was interviewed yesterday at Kazan plant. According to official government sources, this helicopter might be heading its way to Ukraine after the US government bought this from the PH government. We don't hear this story yet from the media.

We do know the US gave PH US$100 million dollars.

[Arianespace]

Here is the latest update on the Mi-17



https://youtu.be/e2XfQLKl0w4?t=8666

According to Russia, 3 Mi-17 has already been built and 2 in various stage of being put together out of the 17 (16+1 free) for 12.7B pesos, prior to notice of termination. Our down payment of 1.9B pesos i think covers about 3 of them. All Free delivery. Refund of this amount is no longer an option as they were built already. Meron pa tayong utang sa dalawa. That's why Russia can no longer return this money. So our choices are to take this helicopter and sell it to 3rd country that uses Mi-17, or forfeit the deposit. Either way, we lose the value for money's worth.

Russia has been telling us that we can pay the rest in Yuan, which our Central Bank has plenty instead of Ruble which we only had few, and get all the helicopters we ordered. Conversion would be from Yuan to Ruble. Asec. Dy has been told about this already. But it seems the instruction in the DND ladder is contrary to our foreign policy as told by our President. No wonder our previous DND head was asked to resign. Sec. Galvez now leads it.

BBM has been quoted at WEF in Davos on the intense lobby of the west to take their side against Russia, but he said the Philippines refused to be drawn to choose between the two. Evidence of that is his recent visit to Beijing. He might consider Moscow soon. Our interest must matter first and foremost. If he really meant what he said then he should approve the Russian proposal, otherwise I would think of him as mere lip service to the US.  

[Arianespace]

As I was saying,

The Department of National Defense (DND) is considering getting some of the Mi-17 transport helicopters already manufactured in Russia in exchange for the P1.9-billion advance payment in the P12.7-billion chopper deal that was canceled near the end of the Duterte administration.
...

“We are currently negotiating (for the return of the down payment) but one of the things that came up was to get those helicopters that they have already manufactured,” Dy said in a Senate hearing on Republic Act No. 11709, the law setting fixed three-year terms for top military officials.

“They’ve finished some of the helicopters, so that’s one of the things that we’re considering,” he said, without giving the number of choppers already completed.
https://globalnation.inquirer.net/209808/how-to-save-p1-9-b-downpayment-in-shelved-russian-chopper-deal

See, told ya!

Of course, they never mentioned what the Russian has said to them. Probably blinded by the $100million US offer to counterpart fund the CH-47 Chinook procurement instead.

Ambassador MaryKay Carlson stated at a press conference on board the USS Ronald Reagan, which is making a scheduled port call in Manila, that “the United States has now provided $100 million in foreign military funding in part for the Philippine military to use as they wish.” 

The amount, Carlson continued, could be used by the Philippines to “compensate” for its choice to scrap a P12.7 billion ($227.35 million) deal with Russia. 
https://eurasiantimes.com/mi-17-deal-with-russia-goes-into-the-bin-the-philippines/

We've been trying to tell US for the longest time to help us procure these birds. No help came until we decided on our own to buy Russian.

And how does the $300 million work for the PH? Three (3) CH-47. Yes 3, including support services as compared to 17 Mi-17. I maybe poor in math but I know which one spells a difference. Even if they double it.

To keep this story interesting is this meeting this year. In fact, just a week ago.

[XWB_flyer]

I've been following Max Defense PH on facebook an actually knew about the 3 Mi Mil-17 being built and option with what to do with them in the defense community when the deal was first announced many didn't consider the Mi-171 as a heavy lift helicopter and har marginal more capacity then the UH-60/S-70i Black Hawk meaning it can carry more though not as much as the CH-47 Chinock!

I wonder if Philippine should take advantage of Russia current predicament its currently being heavily sanction country in the world thanks to putin decisions to invaded Ukraine. PH couldn't obviously provided arms to Ukraine due to the country armed forces still being weak and may provoke Russia although the West (US, Allies and EU) provided more heavy arms and have recently began sending armoured vehciles from tanks to infantry fighting vehicles. I personally agree the Philippines shouldn't bowdown to western pressure to sanction Russia further isolating it but will require skills and patience to excuted convincing compaines there to open up business here without violating CAATSA and Secondary Sanctions thanks to the invasion!

[Arianespace]

The CH-47 does carry more,(22,680kg v. 13,500kg). If you put 2 Mi-17 in operations however they already carry 27,000kg. They would also be in two different places doing HADR operations. And the price of both doesn't even equal to a single CH-47. See the difference?

As I said before and will say it again, we are friends with Russia. We are the only western allied country in Asia allowed to fly the Russian airspace. PR1 is criscrossing the Russian Airspace from its trip to the US to its trip in the EU. For the rest, PAL is doing it almost every day. No aircraft of western allied country was able to do that except us. Think about it!

The way I see it, the only option for the PH, should they abandon the Russiand deal, is to sell the finished Mi-17 to the US after delivery to us for them to send it to Ukraine. After all, they already sent the Afghan bound Mi-17 which they also acquired.

To tie that story, we are already reimbursed by the US with the $38 millon we paid to Russia. And not only that. The US also gave us another $62 million to answer for damages for a total of $100 million. Look at the news story I previously cited above. It fits.  

Our DND can add that to the balance of our procurement for heavy lift helicopter project. At best, we can have with the $300 million is about 5 CH-47 of its most basic modern variant, without spares and technical support.

How do I know that?
https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/boeing-ba-clinches-$29m-deal-for-ch-47f-block-ii-helicopter

I think that decision would not skip the minds of the PAF and consent to it. Taking into account the problems associated with Agusta Westland procurements, surely they would not let that pass. What plagues those helicopters you can always ask Max Montero.

As for my thoughts, 17 mi-17 is still way better than 3 ch-47.

[FrankFransic]

Quite the geopolitical intrigue with the undelivered helicopter in Putin's backdrop. The potential shift to Ukraine adds another layer. Media's silence is intriguing; here's hoping for more transparency in the unfolding narrative. 🚁💼🌐