Bandar Seri Begawan- The 2022 S-70i Black Hawk Flight Simulator Training for pilots of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) was launched on 29 August 2022 at the Canadian Aviation Electronics (CAE) Brunei Multi-Purpose Training Centre (BMPTC). The launching ceremony for the training was attended by Ambassador of the Republic of the Philippines to Brunei Darussalam Her Excellency Marian Jocelyn R Tirol-Ignacio, Philippine Defense and Armed Forces Attaché Colonel Angelo Gerard P. Ariles, RBAirF Commanding Officer No, 1 Wing (Operations) Lt. Col (U) Muhammad Walee Bin Hj Roslie and CAE-BMPTC General Manager Mr. Rozman Junaidi.
“The Philippine Government conveys its deepest appreciation to His Majesty the Sultan and the Ministry of Defence of Brunei Darussalam for its continuing active engagement and valuable contribution to the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” said Ambassador Tirol-Ignacio. “This is a milestone in our bilateral defense relations with Brunei. Notwithstanding the strong and dynamic defense cooperation between our countries, the program represents a practical option for S-70i Black Hawk training as PAF pilots need not proceed outside the ASEAN region. It opens up more opportunities for PAF pilots and allows greater interaction and exchanges between our Armed Forces.” the Ambassador added.
During the activity, Lieutenant Colonel Walee welcomed the Philippine Air Force pilots and expressed the continued support of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces, the Royal Brunei Air Force in particular, for future trainings cooperations. An agreement was inked last year between the PAF and the Royal Brunei Air Force (RBAirF), as part of the continuing implementation of a bilateral MOU on Defense Cooperation signed in 2001 and was further enhanced during the Bilateral Meeting between the Commanding General of the PAF and the Commander Royal Brunei Air Force in Singapore last year. “The Royal Brunei Air Force will continue to be a valuable partner of the Philippine Air Force in its quest for the continued modernization of its Air Service, in the future we would be willing to welcome your pilots as well as other personnel involved in the operation of the S-70i Black Hawk aircrafts for collaborative efforts in sharing our experiences with the said aircraft,” said Brigadier General (U) Dato Seri Pahlawan Mohd Sharif bin Dato Paduka Haji Ibrahim, Commander of Royal Brunei Air Force.
Ambassador Tirol-Ignacio also expressed her sincere appreciation to RBAirF for the valuable assistance of providing the Instructor Pilots for the PAF trainees as well as the opportunity to share the “lessons learned” as well as the “best practices” in the utilization and maintenance of the S70i Black Hawk aircrafts.
The first batch of Philippine Air Force arrived at Brunei from Manila on 06 August 2022, and the said Flight Simulator Training will be done in fourteen (14) batches that will conclude on 19 November 2021. Last year, the PAF was able to bring to the Sultanate eleven (11) pilots to undergo the same type of recurrent training. The training of the PAF pilots in Brunei is not only cost effective due to the proximity of the sultanate, but also a good demonstration of good regional partnership with a fellow ASEAN member state. Under a multi-year contract, subsequent batches of PAF pilots will participate in the program in the next few years. As part of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Modernization Program, the Philippine Air Force has been continuing to acquire S-70i Black Hawk combat utility helicopters (CUH) that can be rapidly configured and deployed to perform various military and humanitarian missions.END
