Philippine Air Force May Consider ex-JGSDF UH-1H Hueys as Short Term Solution for CUH Project Delays.

With the Philippine Air Force (PAF) not proceeding with the acquisition of more Bell 412EPIs combat utility helicopters from Bell Helicopter Textron after the problems encountered with the Canadian government, other options are being considered for short to long term solutions.

Based on information MaxDefense received this past few days, as a short term solution, the PAF is actually considering the possibility of acquiring surplus Bell-Fuji UH-1H Huey combat utility helicopters from the Japanese government, as the type has been retired from the Japan Ground Self Defense Forces (JGSDF) for a few years now. It would be worth noting that the Philippines and Japan has agreed to transfer their stock of UH-1H parts to the Philippine Air Force in a separate agreement, and it would be expected to be easy to possibly approve a request to transfer surplus working airframes as well.

Take note that this is still a proposal and not an actual project.

A Bell-Fuji UH-1H Huey of the Japan Ground Self Defense Force. The JGSDF retired all its UH-1H and are currently stored in their bases.
Photo credited and taken from Airliners.net.

According to a source from the PAF, these surplus Japanese Hueys are in even better condition that those actively used by the Philippine Air Force. And even if the PAF decides to only bring a few into service, it would definitely be a big boost for the fleet as the PAF's Hueys and other utility helicopters are dwindling in numbers despite the addition of 13 Bell-Dornier UH-1D Delta Hueys and Super Delta Huey helicopters delivered by Rice Aviation Services Inc (RASI) a few years ago (2 Deltas Huey helicopters crashed in separate incidents since then). It was mentioned years ago that the PAF needs at least 100 readily available CUHs, which means a fleet of at least 150 CUHs for the entire fleet.

An example of a Bell-Fuji UH-1H Huey.
Credits to Rico Swytech and Air-Britain Photographic Images Collection.

It is also worth noting that these Bell-Fuji UH-1H Hueys are different from the Bell-Fuji UH-1J Hueys, The Bell-Fuji UH-1H are similar to the bread and butter Bell UH-1H Hueys used by the PAF, while the Bell Fuji UH-1J are similar to the PAF's own Super Hueys and Super Delta helicopters. The JGSDF has not yet retired their UH-1Js, which will only happen a few years from now once a replacement becomes available.

MaxDefense also received confirmation that at least 2 other options previously discussed in our earlier blog were requested to submit a formal offer to the Combat Utility Helicopter (CUH) Technical Working Group (TWG). One involve a brand-new offer from a larger helicopter company. Since we believe the formal offer is yet to be provided, MaxDefense will keep the information for now until it is clear and confirmed good for public consumption.

Until then, keep tab of this blog entry which we will also use should this plan become a reality.

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Canada's Hypocrisy Paved the Way for PAF's Bell 412EPI Order Cancellation. So What's Next for the CUH Acquisition Project?

The recent signing of a contract for the acquisition of 16 Bell 412EPI combat helicopters from Bell Helicopter Textron through the Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC) held last December 2017, was a short-lived celebration after being announced to the world during the Singapore Airshow, as the Philippine government is now preparing to cancel the contract. This is after the Canadian government, specifically its International Trade Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne, backed by Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, said he would review and investigate the sale of the helicopters to the Philippine government, and block it if necessary. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's stand is also not in favour of the deal with the Philippines, and has mentioned that they must look into how Canadian equipment is being used by their buyers.

The PAF never hid its intention on how they will use the Bell 412. It is a Combat Utility Helicopter - a helicopter that can do utilitarian duties both in combat and peacetime conditions. It is not an attack helicopter. The Canadian government knows about this since the 1st contract to acquire 8 units was made in 2014.
Photo taken and credited to the Philippine Air Force.

This action by the Canadian government prompted the Philippine government to act. In his latest press release, Defense Sec. Delfin Lorenzana confirmed that they are already preparing the cancellation of the deal with CCC and Bell Helicopters, as to spare the Philippines from possible delays brought by the Canadian government's decision to investigate and possibly block the deal's implementation. According to Sec. Lorenzana, the letter of cancellation could be out by next week.

It was clear from the very beginning that the Philippine Air Force's primary intention in using the Bell 412EPI helicopters is for supporting combat operations, thus the "Combat Utility Helicopter" labelling of the acquisition project's name. It was never hidden from the Canadians, although the description made during the acquisition was that the helicopters would be used for Search and Rescue (SAR) and HADR operations. This is true although it is not the primary mission of the helicopters. Even the earlier order of 8 Bell 412EP during the term of Pres. Benigno Aquino III has the same project name and was acquired with the same intention. The only difference now is that the incumbent president is known for his human rights violations.

See, the Canadian ambassador was even there when the PAF accepted the last 4 Bell 412EP it ordered, when they were commissioned to service in late 2015.
Photo credits to Bell Helicopters.

But despite being coined as a Combat Utility Helicopter, the name  says it all - its a Utility Helicopter, which means it is planned to be used as a logistics workhorse and could be used in a combat environment, thus the name Combat Utility. The presence of the door guns are only meant to defend the helicopter during low level operations, but not as an offensive weapon. These Bell 412EPIs are also not designed to carry air-launched munitions like rockets and missiles, since the Philippine Air Force has other platforms designed for such requirement, like the Leonardo AW109E Power and the MD-520MG Defender armed helicopters.

Despite the Philippines having a president with human rights issues, is it really fair to use it as a reason to block the sale of helicopters for the Philippine Air Force? The PAF is among the least exposed armed service of the Philippine government due to its nature of work of providing air defense, air surveillance, logistics and air support to the government. And yet, they were unjustly deprived of a helicopter fleet that could improve their capability not only to ferry troops to combat and injured troops away from the battle, but also in conducting logistics support and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) during times of calamity.

A Royal Canadian Air Force Bell 412EP Combat Utility Helicopter (known as the CH-146 Griffon in RCAF service) in Roxas Airport while conducting Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations in the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda / Haiyan. The Philippine Air Force intends to use the Bell 412EPI in the same way as the RCAF. So what's wrong with that?
Photo taken from the Royal Canadian Air Force.

Canada itself uses the Bell 412EP (called CH-146 Griffon in Canadian Forces service) as Combat Utility Helicopters. And yet, Canada itself showed the HADR capabilities of their Griffons when they brought a few to the Visayas region in the Philippines in the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda / Haiyan in 2013. This demonstration by the Canadian helicopters gave the PAF the reason to choose the Bell 412 over other helicopter designs that were offered to them.

A Canadian Armed Forces Bell 412EP (called the CH-146 Griffon in CAF service) side-by-side with a Philippine Air Force Bell UH-1H Huey during the HADR operations for Typhoon Yolanda victims in the Visayas region in 2013. The Canadians brought the Bell 412EP to showcase its capabilities, which gave the PAF a reason to sign a contract to buy 8 units from CCC in 2014, and delivered by 2015.
Credits to owner of photo.

Canada Wasted the Philippine Government's Time:

The Canadian Commercial Corporation is a crown corporation, a government-owned entity that actually reports to the Ministry of International Trade, which is headed by the same Minister Champagne that is trying to block the sale of the helicopters to the Philippines.

What in the hell was Min. Champagne doing since early 2017 when the CCC, which reports to his ministry, was already processing the deal with the Philippine government? If he knew what was happening, Minister Champagne should have asked CCC to halt the process while they investigate about the matter.

Why did Minister Champagne allowed both the Philippine government and his officials from the CCC to waste their time and effort to close to deal if he is against it in the first place? This is gross disrespect of the Philippine government, which, despite being labelled as a human rights violator, still deserves respect from foreign officials. They could have just kindly said no to the Philippines!!

Now the CUH Acquisition Program will definitely experience unnecessary delays as the Technical Working Group and PAF planners will again need to re-study what other helicopter can be bought as an alternative to the Bell 412EPI.

See? The PAF's Bell 412EPs were actually baptised as Catholics! 

Despite MaxDefense's disagreements with the policies of Pres. Duterte and Defense Sec. Delfin Lorenzana, especially those surrounding the issues of the Philippine Navy's Frigate Acquisition Project, MaxDefense agrees and support the president's decision for the cancellation of the contract between DND, CCC and Bell Helicopter Textron.

In this particular deal, the Canadian government acted like an ass, obviously showing double-standard, hypocrisy, and lack of respect to the Philippine government. Just search about the sale of Canadian-built Light Armored Vehicles to Saudi Arabia to find out what MaxDefense meant.

Canadian-built Light Armored Vehicles being used by Saudi security forces in crackdown of militants. The PAF isn't expected to use the Bell 412EPI in the same manner.

Other Options to the Bell 412EPI:

The Bell 412EPI was actually the best balance between unit price, maintenance and operating cost, size, quality, continuity, and performance that PAF's limited money can buy. 

It is a direct decendant of the venerable Bell UH-1Huey which is the centerpiece of PAF's helicopter operations. The PAF's doctrines, logistics, training, knowledge, and all other skillsets were nurtured by decades of operating and mastering the Bell UH-1 helicopter. We're talking about decades of experience with the platform. What's great with the Bell 412 is its exactly what the Bell UH-1 of the future should be!! Simple, cheap, nimble, capable and with good quality.

During the CUH acuqisition's pre-contract stage, there were several offers made by other helicopter manufacturers to the PAF. MaxDefense can confirm that these companies include Leonardo with their AW139M and W-3A Sokol helicopters, Airbus Helicopters with their AS565 Panther, and Korea Aerospace Industries with their KUH-1 Surion helicopter.

As discussed in previous posts on our Facebook community page, the preference for Bell 412EPI has several factors. Aside from commonality with existing Bell 412EPs in PAF fleet which makes it easier for logistics, training and transition, and familiarisation for the entire team, the 412EPI also has the right size, being larger than the Panther, but smaller than the Surion. The size difference affects the carrying capacity, range and endurance of the Bell 412EPI versus the smaller AS565 Panther. And while the Surion is larger, the Korean helicopter is also more expensive. The PAF's doctrines on CUH operations was made around the Huey helicopter, which is the ancestor of the Bell 412EPI and shares a lot of common attributes with its older stablemate.

The Surion, being a new helicopter, is still experiencing troubles even back in Korea. Meanwhile, the Sokol, despite being in service with the PAF, has issues regarding its small sliding door openings which are said to have made it difficult for troops to alight and embark, and is also a problem when conducting HADR operations.

Compared to the Bell 412EPI which is actually a militarised civilian helicopter, the KUH-1 Surion is a military helicopter by design, based on the Airbus' Super Puma helicopter. Thus its larger size, which may not fit the requirements and budget of the PAF, unless changes are made.

The defense secretary also mentioned of Turkey, Russia and China as alternative sources. The only readily available helicopter Turkey can offer is the TAI-Sikorsky T-70 Black Hawk, which is Turkish version of the Sikorsky S-70i International Black Hawk. Russia may have made offers with their Mil Mi-17 Hip medium helicopter and Mil Mi-35 Hind, but both helicopters are too large for CUH requirements. Kamov's Ka-60 Kasatka could be closer in size to the Bell 412EP so that is something that we could be keeping our eyes on. China? Moving on...

The PAF also has preference to skid landing gear due to its simplicity and ability to allow the helicopter to land on uneven surfaces. The PAF is not in favor of having retractable landing gear due to its lack of sturdiness and the need for unnecessary costs in maintenance and parts requirement.

The closest helicopter in terms of size and attributes is actually the Bell UH-1Y Venom, made in the US factories of Bell Helicopter Textron. But alas, its price is almost thrice of the Bell 412EPI due to better protection, larger engines, advanced electronics, and other features not found on the Bell 412EPI.

The PAF also received offers for lease-to-own solutions using refurbished helicopters, specifically the Sikorsky UH-60A Black Hawk and the larger Airbus Helicopters H225M Super Puma. Both can be leased under a 3-year contract, wherein the proponent will supply a batch of 10 helicopters per contract, while also providing the aircrew and ground crew instructors and engineers, and do the maintenance of the helicopters and make them in tip-top shape. The PAF would only pay the lease and the fuel costs every month. At the end of the 3-year contract, the PAF has the option to pay for the helicopters and take-over ownership. Despite being a short to medium term solution, this allows the PAF to have a CUH ready at the earliest possible, as the helicopters can start arriving 3 months after export license has been released by the proponent's home country government.

This is just a proof that such offer exists, despite not being reported by anyone else except MaxDefense Philippines. We intentionally cropped the entire page we consider the contents confidential.

If PAF Really Wants the Bell 412...

MaxDefense believes that there are 4 options for the PAF to able to acquire Bell 412EPIs. 

First is to wait for a new less-overreacting government to be elected in Canada, and try to negotiate again.

Second is to wait until Pres. Duterte is replaced by a new more HR-conscious government either in a legally conducted elections in 2022, or through extra-Constitutional means at an earlier date. 

Third option would be to lease Bell 412EPIs from a 3rd party company. The same way that the Philippine government leased 4 Bell 412EPs during Pres. Ramos' time for use in the APEC Philippines 1996. And have the option to own them after a certain number of years.

And fourth, start negotiating with the Japanese government to acquire the Subaru-Bell UH-X, which is Japan's chosen Combat Utility Helicopter to replace their ageing Huey helicopters. The Subaru-Bell UH-X is essentially a Japanese version of the Bell 412EPI, with specific upgrades made by the Japanese military to fit their needs. It is expected that the UH-X will be made in Subaru's facility in Japan using license-manufactured parts also made in Japan. 

MaxDefense believes that the Japanese would be more than willing to sell the UH-X to the Philippines once production starts.

Subaru teams up with Bell to manufacture the Bell 412EPI as Japan's UH-X helicopter to replace ageing Fuji-Bell UH-1H Huey helicopters.
Photo taken from Wikimedia Commons.

But in the meantime, the PAF should move fast in finding a solution to this problem. Whatever is their second choice as Combat Utility Helicopter should be given a look as early as now. 

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Is the Philippine Air Force Getting Bell AH-1 Cobra Attack Helicopters from Jordan?

MaxDefense noted that one of our regular community members has posted in another known Philippine defense page about the impending arrival of Cobra helicopters from the Kingdom of Jordan. MaxDefense has been asked several times through our community page and through private messages if this information is true, and so far we haven't come back with a definite answer to the general group members.

Also, a lot of our readers were asking MaxDefense when we posted a phrase on our previous blog entry regarding the acquisition of Elbit Systems Hermes 900 medium altitude long endurance UAVs from Israel, wherein we mentioned "another (attack) helicopter model that will arrive early next year". Did this point to the Cobras?


So the question is, is the Philippines getting Cobras?

One of Jordan's AH-1F Cobra attack helicopters.
Photo from TheAviationist.com.

Road to Cobras:

It should be noted that this is not the first time the Philippine military made interest on acquiring Cobra single-engine attack helicopters.

Among the earliest attempts was in the late 1980s when the Philippine Air Force made a requirement for attack helicopters as part of its fleet re-capitalization plans during the term of former Pres. Corazon Aquino, wherein the Bell AH-1F was eyed for acquisition. This did not materialize and instead the Philippine Air Force acquired the McDonnell Douglas (now Hughes) MD-520MG armed helicopters that the PAF continues to use to this day.

The last one was in 2009 during the time of former Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, wherein the requirement for the Philippine Air Force's attack helicopter project included the acquisition of ex-Israel Defense Forces AF-1S Tzefa attack helicopters under the PAF's then Night Capable Attack Helicopter project, which are to be refurbished before delivery. The project proceeded with a requirement for brand new helicopters wherein Asian Helicopters won with their MD-530F

Being second hand, it drew flak from several groups due to allegations of being a "midnight deal" that is being pushed in the final days of the Arroyo administration. It did not get traction during the term of Pres. Benigno Aquino III, until the PAF decided to go on a brand new route, which led to the project's awarding to AgustaWestland (now Leonardo) for their AW-109E Power armed helicopters.

There were also interests made on the twin-engine Super Cobra, the last one was back in 2006 when the defense department tried to negotiate with the US government for four to six ex-US Marine Corps AW-1W Super Cobra helicopters, which was competing with another option of larger number of second-hand MD-520. The project was also scrapped later on.

Its best to take note that the PAF's Attack Helicopter project were the Leonardo AW-109E was acquired was not a Horizon 1 phase project under the 2013-2028 Revised AFP Modernization Program, but was actually part of the older 1995-2010 AFP Modernization Program. This is because it was actually an evolution of the Night Capable Attack Helicopter and the earlier Attack Helicopter Acquisition Projects.

Filipino and American airmen around an AH-1W Super Cobra during Balikatan 2014. The PAF actually showed interest on twin-engined AH-1W Super Cobras in the past.
Photo taken from Aiirsource Military's Youtube page.

The Jordanian Donation Offer: AF-1F Cobra:

MaxDefense was initially informed by one of our community members about the possible arrival of Cobra helicopters last July 2017. The initial info is that the Kingdom of Jordan offered to donate 2 used Bell AH-1F Cobra attack helicopters to the Philippines, and Philippine Air Force officers/technical team and defense officials were able to check out the Cobras in Jordan last June 2017. MaxDefense has a photo to support the PAF inspection but has not yet receive approval to post the photo through any of our public pages.

Succeeding information that MaxDefense received from its sources confirmed that the Jordanian offer was originally for four units, but was reduced to two. The Philippine Air Force is still finalizing the acceptance of the helicopters, while defense officials are said to be negotiating with Jordanian defense officials toincrease it back to four helicopters. It still remains to be seen if this request could be approved.

It is still for clarification if the Jordanian AH-1F Cobras being offered are among those new builds they obtained in the late 1980s from the US, or ex-US Army units transferred in 2001. While Jordan received former Israeli AH-1F Tzefas a few years ago, it is highly unlikely that the units offered to the Philippines are from this batch of helicopters from Israel.

The Philippines is also not the first country to receive AH-1F Cobras as donation from Jordan. Earlier this year Kenya was reported to have received at least one and probably more AH-1F Cobras from Jordan.

A Jordanian AH-1F firing 2.75" rockets. The AH-1's advantage over existing armed helicopters in the PAF include larger munition capacity.
Photo taken from Defense Update page.

The Possible Israeli Route - AH-1F Tzefa

Aside from this, it was also mentioned to MaxDefense that the DND might also be planning, or might already be in discussion with their Israeli counterparts to provide some of its stored upgraded AH-1E/F Tzefa attack helicopters to the Philippine Air Force, probably as donation as well, considering Israel already made the same arrangement with Jordan a few years ago to help secure against ISIS-related attacks.

It is also difficult for the DND to justify a second hand purchase, considering Pres. Duterte's latest statements of acquiring only brand new units. A donation, being free, might not be affected by this instruction.

It remains to be seen though if this would materialize.

Israel's AH-1F Tzefa attack helicopter, which were retired in favour of unmanned aircraft. Israel may provide a few examples to the Philippines if an agreement is reached.
Credits to owner of photo.

Back to the Question:

So is the PAF getting AH-1 Cobras? Although the answer is still not definite 100%, as also agreed upon by our sources, the answer is closer on the "yes" rather than "no". As of our last check, the AH-1F donation from Jordan is still for approval by the PAF and AFP's senior leaders, before it is recommended for approval by higher authorities. But being a donation, MaxDefense expects the senior leaders to approve and accept the offer and fund for its transfer.

So far there's no budget allocation yet for the preparation for the helicopters, which includes training of PAF personnel with the Royal Jordanian Air Force, and transportation and delivery of the helicopters to the Philippines, among others. So until these are confirmed, its best to say that it the chances are high that the PAF is getting Jordanian Cobras but its not 100% confirmed.

Another reason why its closer to being a "yes", is that the PAF has already started requesting for queries on how to improve the helicopters for donation.

How about MaxDefense's mention of the "another (attack) helicopter model arriving next year", was it the Cobra? While the direct answer is yes, MaxDefense is also talking about the possibility of having another attack helicopter model since the PAF is acquiring more attack helicopters under the Horizon 2 phase of the Revised AFP Modernization Program. And it may not necessarily be more AW-109E Power.

The only reason MaxDefense did not post about this information before was because of the lack of photographic evidence to back-up our post. But since its already out anyway, we'll just post any photograph to corroborate the information once it's allowed for public consumption.



Upgrades:

According to our sources, the PAF has also shown interest to upgrade these Cobra helicopters if they are acquired. Among those they are looking at are upgrades on the avionics systems, and possibly the weapons system as well.

Considering that these Jordanian Cobras are not upgraded since they were received, it is highly likely to still be using avionics that are older than what the newer AW-109E Power is currently using, despite not being a purpose-built attack helicopter.

Also, the weapons systems might be a concern. The Cobra's advantages over current PAF armed helicopters is the presence of a heavy internal oscillating gatling cannon (20mm M197 3-barrel cannon) and the use of an anti-tank missile system. But the anti-tank is currently limited to the American TOW missile, which is not exactly the most modern missile in the market now, and would not be as easy to acquire than the Spike missile.

With the AFP, specifically the Philippine Navy, introducing the Rafael Spike missile including a helicopter-launched variant, it is highly likely that the Philippine Army may also want the missile for its anti-tank requirements, including a helicopter-launched one. And this means upgrade for the AH-1Fs are imminent. Take note that Israel's AH-1Fs are upgraded to fire the Spike missile as well.

An Israe AH-1S Tzefa carrying a Spike missile launcher. The PAF may also do a similar upgrade considering the PN is acquiring the same system for its upcoming AW-159 helicopters.
Photo taken from Defense Update page.

Peritent Schedules:

If the donation of Jordanian AH-1F, and hopefully any other Cobra offer from Israel are approved, it is expected that the PAF will be sending their pilots and ground crew for training in Jordan by November this year, and the helicopters delivered to the Philippines by early next year.




MaxDefense won't be discussing about the AH-1F Cobra's capabilities and other performance issues, and suggest its readers to read publicly available sources by Googling them.

MaxDefense believes that there will be more information coming out in the next few months, or even weeks, as the PAF closes its own schedules on how they will proceed with the Jordanian AH-1Fs. Until then, MaxDefense will be posting new updates once information becomes available and good for release to the public.

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The Philippine Air Force Gets Dornier UH-1D Helicopters, and Technical Clarifications on the Project's Alleged Issues

The recent articles by the Manila Times reported by Joel M. Sy Egco circulating lately regarding the irregularities on the Department of National Defense's (DND) acquisition of refurbished UH-1 helicopters has caught MaxDefense's eye due to a lot of errors and total disregard of facts. As the topic was discussed in our Facebook page, MaxDefense noticed a lot of its readers have difficulty understanding the issue, or understanding the errors on the allegations made by the Manila Times.

The Dornier UH-1D Super Delta upgraded version while undergoing flight testing at Clark Air Base, Pampanga. The Fastfin system is visible from this angle.
Photo by Tim Q. Maceren, taken from his FB page.

One of the UH-1D delivered by Rice Aircraft Services undergoing testing at Clark Air Base.
Photo taken by Tim Q. Maceren, taken from his FB page.

So, it was decided that MaxDefense will answer some of the technical issues, as well as obvious issues in this blog entry. MaxDefense suggests that further research be made by its readers to fully understand the issue and avoid bias.

So, first of all, we discuss the product itself, the Bell Model 204 & 205, otherwise known as the UH-1 series in US military language.


Short History of The Bell UH-1 Iroquois Helicopter:
The Bell Model 204 Helicopter
The Bell Helicopter company produced the Model 204 helicopter, with the first prototype flown in the late 1950s. As the US military accepted the helicopter, it was initially called the HU-1A, officially named "Iroquois" after an American Indian tribe, but HU-1A was pronounced "Huey" which is its more famous name. When the US military changed its aircraft naming standard, the HU-1A became the UH-1A powered by the Lycoming T53-L-1A engine. Bell later on improved the helicopter by increasing the engine size and power using the Lycoming T53-L-5, and lengthening the fuselage to accommodate more passengers, which was later called the UH-1B. 

The Bell UH-1A Iroquois, which is the original name of the Huey. Take note of the short fuselage as compared to what Huey helicopters the Philippine Air Force uses.
Photo taken from Wikimedia.

The US military used the UH-1B for utility and armed missions, and this is where Bell addressed aerodynamic deficiency of armed UH-1B by replacing the engine again with the Lycoming T53-L-11, increasing the fuel capacity, and installing an improved rotor system. This was later on called the UH-1C, a gunship variant with rocket and gun pods installed. Further improvements of the UH-1C to increase power resulted to the UH-1M. The US Marine Corps have their own variant of the UH-1B/C called the UH-1E, with differences on the avionics used. Further developments of the UH-1C for the US Air Force resulted to the UH-1F, which used the General Electric T58-GE-3 engine, but only a few units were built. Many other minor variants were released.


The Bell Model 205 Helicopter
With the US military wanting to have a helicopter that can carry more troops, Bell proposed to stretch the UH-1B by 41 inches, enabling them to increase the seating capacity of the helicopter to 15 people. Modifications were also made on the doors and windows in accordance to the changes Bell made to the design. The rotors and tail boom were also lengthened, and the engine of the UH-1C was used. This ultimately became what was known as the Bell UH-1D. 

The UH-1H, like those used by the Philippine Air Force (above), are part of the Model 205 series.
Photo taken from Airliners.net, photo copyright @ Carlos A. Morillo Doria.

In 1966, Bell again made modifications on the UH-1D, by replacing the engine with the Lycoming T53-L-13 with 1,400shp, and shifting the pitot tube from the nose to the roof of the helicopter to avoid damage during landings. This was later known as the Bell UH-1H, the most famous of the entire Bell UH-1 series. A civilian version was also made, under the name Model 205A with minor differences including a different position of the tail rotor.


Foreign and Licensed-Built Bell 205 / UH-1:
Due to its popularity, several countries chose the Bell 205 series for their own military and civilian applications. Industrially capable countries like Italy, Germany, Japan, and Taiwan all manufactured their requirement for UH-1 helicopters.

Italy is among the most successful in manufacturing the Bell 205 locally, under a joint venture between Bell Helicopters and Italian aviation company Agusta as the Agusta Bell. They used the designation AB.205, which is similar to the UH-1H. Agusta Bell continued to produce several other variants of the Model 205, and went on to produce their version of the Model 212, 214 and 412 known as the AB.212, AB.214 and AB.412, respectively.

Germany was also able to acquire a license to build the Bell UH-1 helicopter by Dornier Flugzeugwerke. This would later be called the Dornier UH-1D, and in spite of having the "D" series label, is actually standard UH-1H. According to online sources, more than 350 units were built from 1967 to 1981,and majority have undergone Service Life Extension Program and upgraded avionics for night capability. 

Japan built its UH-1 series, with the license given to Fuji Heavy Industries. Originally they built the UH-1H series, but later on made in improved version called the UH-1J, with a more powerful 1,800shp Allison T53-L-703 turboshaft, night vision goggle cockpit compatibility, infrared countermeasures and vibration reduction system.

The Japanese-built UH-1J variant of the Huey. Based on its improvements, it may have similar features as the Philippine Air Force's UH-1H Huey II.
Photo taken from Wikimedia.

Later Improved Models Based on the Bell Model 205 Helicopter:
Bell later on came up with further improvement on the UH-1H specifically for the Canadian Armed Forces by making it a twin engine variant instead of the single engine used for the Model 204 and Model 205. It was designated as the Bell 212 series in the civilian sector, and was called the UH-1N Twin Huey in US military service. It used the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6T engines and was first introduced in 1970.

Bell also released an improved Model 212, called the Model 214, which uses the more powerful Lycoming LTC4B-8 engine while retaining the twin-blade rotor, and was called the Huey Plus. Another development was made by Bell by using a 4-bladed rotor, which later on became the Bell Model 412. Its current variant, the Bell 412EP, was chosen recently by the Philippine Air Force to become its latest Combat Utility Helicopter model and is expected to replace the UH-1 series in its inventory.

A CH-146 Griffon of the Canadian Armed Forces together with a UH-1H Huey of the Philippine Air Force. The Griffon is actually a militarized Bell 412EP helicopter customized according to the needs of the Canadians.

The latest iteration of the UH-1 was again made by Bell, this time by working again on the UH-1N design by lengthening its cabin, increasing the engine power and size using General Electric T700 engines used in the Sikorsky S-70/UH-60 Black Hawk, and having a 4-bladed rotor for improved lift and performance. This resulted to the UH-1Y Venom, currently the combat utility helicopter of the US Marine Corps. This variant is still in production until now.

The latest variant of the UH-1 series is the Bell UH-1Y Venom, which is currently used by the US Marine Corps.
Photo taken from Airliners.net, copyright @ Kevin Whitehead.

Background on the DND's UH-1 Helicopter Acquisition Project:
This project was regarding the acquisition of 21 refurbished UH-1 helicopters for the Philippine Air Force. 13 units will be standard models, while 8 will be upgraded models. All are expected to be used and refurbished by the winning bidder before delivery. 

The PAF decided to acquire more UH-1 helicopters as funding to acquire new helicopters are scarce, with the government only providing enough to acquire 8 new combat utility helicopters from 2013 until 2017. With only a budget of more than a billion pesos, the acquisition of more UH-1, being the PAF's premier combat utility helicopter model, was still found to be the best solution, as the platform still have potential for effective use for another 10 to 15 years after proper maintenance and continued refurbishing and modernization. 

Aside from this, there is an urgent need to beef up the helicopter fleet as many of the PAF's UH-1H helicopters have not entered refurbishing works and modernization, ending up as non-flying assets after reaching a certain period. Although there are plans to refurbish current PAF helicopters, it might take long before this can fully take place. Acquiring readily available units is still considered the fastest way to acquire additional assets.

An illustration of the fastfin system as installed on a Canadian Armed Forces CH-146 Griffon (Bell 412)
Photo taken from Canadian American Strategic Review website.

Apparently, the units delivered by Rice Aircraft Services are German-made UH-1D helicopters by Dornier. According to MaxDefense sources, 8 are to be upgraded to "Super Delta" standard, which is said to be almost similar to the Huey II the PAF is currently using. It features a more powerful engine, a fastfin system, night vision goggle-compatible cockpit, and other features not present on the standard UH-1D or UH-1H. The remaining 13 will be standard "Delta" models.

A UH-1D undergoing testing at Clark Air Base. Note the fastfin installed at the tail end of the helicopter. This could be one of the UH-1D Super Delta, which is an upgraded version of the UH-1D.
Photo taken by Tim Q. Maceren, taken from his FB page.

Answering the Technical Allegations of the Report:
MaxDefense will be answering the news report released last March 8, 2015 by Manila Times in a part-by-part manner. You may refer to the link below to see the sources of the topic outlines:

"Choppers bought for P1.2B defective"
http://www.manilatimes.net/choppers-bought-for-p1-2b-defective/168066/



1. "Delivery of Old, Refurbished Units":
The project was meant to acquire used and refurbished UH-1 helicopters from the very beginning. The UH-1 series has long been out of production with Bell or any of its license-production holders like Agusta, Dornier, Fuji Heavy Industries and AEDC. So it is already expected that the helicopters would not be new due to unavailability of any new UH-1 helicopters.



2. "Contract Was for UH-1H Helicopters":
This is completely untrue. The project was actually called "Acquisition of UH-1 Helicopter Project", without specifying the exact variant. So the bidder could actually bid using other variants of the UH-1 series aside from the standard UH-1H being used by the PAF. 

The document above used by the DND to invite bidders for the project already shows that the project is for REFURBISHED UH-1 HELICOPTERS. There was no emphasis on the "Hotel" variant as well. So there is no violation on this part. There are many other documents on the bidding that is available to the public at the DND-BAC's website.
Document snipped from DND-BAC website.

But does that mean the PAF will accept any variant? No. The PAF already have extensive experience with the UH-1H, and would definitely prefer the UH-1H or any similar variant. This would make the maintenance, training, spare parts acquisition, and parts recycling possible. Which brings us to the next question.



3. "The Age of the UH-1D is older than the UH-1H...":
As discussed earlier, the German-made Dornier UH-1D were built between 1967 and 1981. The US-made Bell UH-1H were built starting 1966 until the late 1970s. In general, the German UH-1D and the US UH-1H are almost the same age. But this is also an inaccurate way to determine the age of an aircraft. 

Two Dornier UH-1D helicopters used by the German military.

The most important detail is, when was the specific aircraft manufactured? It is impossible to compare the age of aircraft without this detail, and by just using a 15-year range. With this system, we might be comparing a 1968 model UH-1H with a 1975 model UH-1D. Based on the range alone, it would only be possible to generalize the age of the Dornier UH-1D and the Bell UH-1H as on the same range, +/- a few years.

Technically, the Dornier UH-1D and the Bell UH-1H are one and the same. This can be verified in numerous online sources, as well as by helicopter databases like helis.com. Dornier obtained the license to build the Bell Model 205 initially based on Bell's UH-1D, but opted to use a more powerful and newer engine, the Lycoming T53-L-13. The same engine was being considered by Bell to install on their own UH-1D for improved lift performance during those times, and when they eventually used the same engine a year later, the new variant was then officially called the UH-1H. 

Thus, the UH-1D made by Dornier is essentially one and the same as the UH-1H made by Bell. Also, Dornier's UH-1D is far superior to Bell's UH-1D, in the same manner that the Bell UH-1H is superior to the Bell UH-1D. 



4. "UH-1D are not reliable and their parts are obsolete...":
Being new doesn't necessarily mean reliable. Although newer products tend to be generally more reliable than older products, using this in a general statement like that of the report can be considered as totally inaccurate and misleading statement.

Since the Dornier UH-1D is essentially one and the same as the Bell UH-1H, maintenance and parts for both helicopters are the same too. MaxDefense sources indicated, and several online sources also confirmed, that parts for the UH-1D and UH-1H are actually interchangeable. Although Dornier probably does not make new spare parts for these helicopters, Bell does, and Bell can provide parts and support for both helicopters, aside from the fact that both can use the same original and compatible aftermarket parts from other companies but are accepted by Bell itself, which means the supply chain is not affected by the difference in the helicopter's designations. This was confirmed by the DND's Fernando Manalo an interview a few days ago. If the UH-1H parts is acceptable to the PAF, then the same is true for the Dornier UH-1D's. There are also many companies with large stocks of spare parts for most Model 205/UH-1 helicopters, as aside from the Philippines, there are still a lot of countries using the UH-1 helicopter, including the US military, national guard, and police forces. Examples include Dakota Air Parts, Timken, AirTechnology Engines Inc., and many others. 

It would be worth noting that the Philippine Air Force actually uses both the Bell UH-1H and civilian Model 205A, as well as the newer Bell 412EP. It also had experience in operating the a very few Bell 212s in the past, all of which are different from one another. But this did not negatively affected the supply chain of the PAF as well. 

(Add to that the possibility that Japan might provide the PAF some of their Fuji Heavy Industries-built UH-1H and UH-1J, will that become another issue that the media will come up again in the future?)

The PAF's 505th Search and Rescue Squadron operates around 8 Bell 205A helicopters, similar to the photo shown above. These have minor differences with the UH-1H, but is said to be less similar to the UH-1H, as compared between the Dornier UH-1D to the Bell UH-1H.

The PAF previously operated the twin-engine Bell 212 / UH-1N Twin Huey, although they are now said to be stored and there are currently no plans to put them back in service.
Photo taken from Wikimedia.

Another Huey derivative being operated by the PAF is the Bell 412EP, currently used by the 250th Presidential Airlift Wing, although the PAF's 205th Helicopter Wing is expected to get a few within this and next year as Bell Helicopter Textron delivers the first batch before November 2015.
Photo taken from Wikimedia.

5. "If the DND awarded the contract to a supplier...and those helicopters should have been used during the Mamasapano incident..." 
This is a non-technical phrase that MaxDefense could not stand to leave unanswered. The PAF, with or without these new helicopters, currently has air assets that could have been used to assist the Philippine National Police Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) commandos during the operation in Mamasapano, Maguindanao on January 25, 2015. It was assumed by the reporter's so-called source that the PAF doesn't have any air assets available at all! 

It was clear that the military, more so the PAF, was not given any instruction from higher ops to use their air assets to assist the PNP-SAF in any way before and during the operation, be it for close air support, insertion, extraction, and rescue. So the 21 new helicopters would not be of any help to the PNP-SAF even if they were delivered before January 25. This statement by the report's source, now called "Joey" by a later article posted on March 11, 2015, actually reveals a lot on his real intention for bringing out this issue to the spotlight. Being wrong on technical matters can be acceptable if the source is a non-technical person. But bringing this out in poor reasoning just to give more reason to grill the project is uncalled for.



6. "Helicopters delivered....were not yet operational...":
This was confirmed by the DND recently, as reported by the Inquirer on March 9, 2015. Only 8 of a total 21 helicopters were accepted by the PAF, while the rest are still being assembled, checked, tested, and will undergo acceptance later on. The DND already confirmed that they have given Rice Aircraft Services and its partner Eagle Copter up to April 15 to complete the turnover for the balance units. So there is nothing wrong with this.

Some of the UH-1D helicopters are still awaiting completion of assembly, so it is obvious that they are not yet flying.
Photo taken by Tim Q. Maceren, taken from his FB page.

7. "President [Benigno] Aquino [3rd] was hoodwinked into believing that the aircraft delivered were UH-1H models..."
The President previously said in his previous public statements including previous State of the Nation Addresses that the helicopters coming are refurbished UH-1 helicopters, not specifically UH-1H helicopters. 

Here is the link to the President's previous SONA wherein he stated that UH-1 helicopters are being acquired. So far the text only says "UH-1", without the "H".



8. "The age of the UH-1D is older than the UH-1H....":
This was answered in Item # 3.

A Dornier UH-1D used by the German armed forces.
Photo taken from Airliners.net, copyright @ Jakub Nanowski/EPGD Spotters.

9. "...the manufacturer [Dornier] is no longer existing and no helicopter parts are being manufactured specifically for the UH-1D...."
Although Dornier has already folded years ago after a failed venture with American company Fairchild (yes, the manufacturer of the A-10 Thunderbolt), they were able to successfully turn-over the rights of Dornier products production, sales, and support to RUAG Aviation, a Swiss company with facilities in Germany and many other countries. They even continue building some Dornier aircraft products until now like the Do 288 New Generation. Their website also indicates that they provide Life Cycle Support Services to Dornier military aircraft like the UH-1D and Alpha Jet. 

As with the spare parts, this was answered in Item # 4.





The DND, through its undersecretary Mr. Fernando Manalo, confirmed a few days ago that at least 8 units were already accepted by the PAF. MaxDefense sources confirmed this information, and that PAF pilots were dilligently doing their job to see if the helicopters are indeed in tip-top shape before they signed the reports prior to release of acceptance papers. 

Also, Pinoy Aviators, a group page in Facebook with members from the civilian and military aviation community, confirmed that a batch of helicopters were formally accepted this morning (March 11, 2015). These are composed of 2 standard "Delta" and 4 "Super Delta" upgraded helicopters. Source apparently came from one of the PAF Huey pilots included in the testing phase. It is unclear though if this is in addition to earlier reported acceptance of Delta and Super Delta helicopters.


MaxDefense is unsure if there are indeed corruption issues involved in the acquisition of these German birds. But MaxDefense believes that all the technical issues raised by Manila Times recently unto the project might either be a product of intentional or unintentional misinformation, poor understanding of the product, lack of research, or just laziness. A short hop on Google can give the writer tons of information on the helicopters. Using these reasons to build-up a case against the project is uncalled for, and probably have other intentions that are directed to the people involved in the project and the President himself. We will not be touching those issues, and we will leave that to the DND, PAF, Rice Aircraft Services, and the government to answer.

To cap-off, here is a video posted in Youtube during the testing of the helicopters, uploaded by RecSpin.com:


During tests in the US prior to delivery to the Philippines:

During testing @ Clark Air Base, Pampanga:

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UPDATES:
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March 16, 2015:
The Manila Times has again posted a new article, part of their continued accusation against the UH-1 acquisition deal between the DND and Rice Aircraft Services-Eagle Copter venture. The link is provided HERE.

This time, the article indicated that there are officers from the Philippine Air Force that are covering-up the deal, and that the PAF only showed 2 helicopters to the media during the presentation to the press last week. News video from UNTV is available HERE.

This is a serious allegation made by the source, the so-called "Joey" in Manila Times report by Mr. Joel Sy Egco, as even if they were unnamed by the report, these officers have confirmed to the public via media reports that the helicopters are working perfectly. This includes those in the posted video news report above, Lt. Col. Enrico Canaya, Director, Public Information Office, PAF; and Maj. Aristedes Galang, Operations Officer, 210th Tactical Training Squadron, PAF. It may also include Capt. Bryan Dofie, Huey test pilot of the PAF, who shared information in Pinoy Aviators Facebook page that all UH-1D accepted by the PAF are working in perfect order. There are many unnamed officers who is affected by this allegation.

What MaxDefense is curious to know is, how come these PAF officers, who themselves will be using the said helicopters in their day to day work as pilots, will risk theirs and their friends and colleague's lives to accept the helicopters and confirm that they are working perfectly? MaxDefense does not personally know these officers, but who is more believable at this point in time, "Joey" & Manila Times, or the pilots & PAF? How about the enlisted men who are among those involved in the testing, does the allegation involve them as well?


Another point of discussion is the allegation that only 2 helicopters are flying because out of all those accepted, only 2 helicopters can fly. As previously said and even emphasized to MaxDefense's recent Facebook reply to Mr. Sy Egco, MaxDefense will definitely need to correct the errors in military technology information. And although this is not directly a MilTech issue, continuous monitoring of the issue can actually debunk may of the accusations.

During the Media Presentation, only 2 UH-1D helicopters were shown. The video below shows the 2 helicopters:

Both are actually standard model UH-1D, with body number 502 and 186. If these are the only ones flying, then how come there are photos and videos of UH-1D Super Deltas flying scattered around the internet and social media sites? See the photo below from Mr. Tim Maceren:

Photo copyright @ Tim Maceren.

This is one of the UH-1D Super Delta upgraded helicopters. Although the body number is not yet painted as of this photo, this is definitely not among those shown to the media. So that makes it 3 flying aircraft. Also, the Manila Times reported that there are actually 4 UH-1D in Villamor Air Base that day. So how did the 3rd and 4th helicopter reach Villamor Air Base in Pasay City from Clark Air Base in Pampanga?

The presence of a photo of a 3rd unit flying, plus the presence of 4 UH-1D in Villamor Air Base makes the report from Manila Times wrong. We have not yet even included many other aircraft that are already reported accepted and working/flying in very good condition by MaxDefense and other sources.

With time moving, it would be best if the PAF can show that the aircraft they accepted are flying, which according to MaxDefense sources, is happening soon. Meanwhile, with Mr. Sy Egco indicating that "Joey" is coming out soon, let's see what's in store from his allegations.




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UPDATES:
==========
April 1, 2015:

The Philippine Daily Inquirer posted on their website a video wherein Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Pio Catapang took a ride on one of the recently accepted Dornier UH-1D helicopters. This is the standard model, which can easily be identified by not having the Fastfin system. This was after the formal acceptance ceremonies of the Airbus Military-CASA C-295M tactical transport aircraft from Airbus this week.

The link is provided below:

LOOK: Gazmin, Catapang ride UH-1D chopper



==========
April 11, 2015:

MaxDefense noticed that the sources of accusations against the UH-1D acquisition is either using 2 different aliases, or are 2 different people.

1. Manila Times' source, a.k.a. "Joey", was defined by their latest report as a "he", or a male. 
2. Meanwhile, GMA News' source, only known as "Source", can be heard in an interview with a lady's voice. 
3. ABS-CBN's source, a.k.a. "Alex", was interviewed with a distorted voice which will not allow listeners to determine his/her actual voice. But the report disclosed that the supplier is accusing "Alex" of extortion. 
4. In a report by the Tribune, Rice Aircraft Services Inc. (RASI) named a certain Rhodora Alvarez, an employee of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) as the person extorting the company. 

So the question now: is BIR's Rhodora Alvarez = Alex = Joey?

MaxDefense is trying to make a database of the Dornier UH-1Ds that are part of the 21-helicopter deal with the DND and PAF. So far MaxDefense was able to do a partial list, but further data needs to be added. If there are people who can assist, please PM me in the MaxDefense @ Facebook page.

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April 13, 2015:

For those insisting that the Dornier UH-1D is older than the Bell UH-1H. Here is a sample of Manufacturer's Serial Number (MSN) plate from a Bell UH-1H and a Dornier UH-1D. It indicates the serial number of the aircraft as well as the accepted date (in month and year) for release from production.

Here is the Bell UH-1H:

Photo taken from Scramble.nl.

And here is from a Dornier UH-1D:

Photo taken from Scramble.nl.

If you look at the "Accepted" portion at the lower right portion of the plates of both aircraft, you can see that the Bell UH-1H sample was accepted on "11-68", or November 1968. The Dornier UH-1D sample has an accepted date of "8/70", or August 1970.

This only proves that the Dornier UH-1D is not an older model than the Bell UH-1H, but were actually from almost the same timeline. This specific Dornier UH-1D sample is even younger by 2 years than the Bell UH-1H sample!

If you are still in doubt and have access to the helicopters or have friends/contacts with the Philippine Air Force, try to ask them a photo of the MSN plate located in the helicopter's cockpit. It is near thr pilot's foot area, on the left hand side of the central control panel and is visible from the outside.



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April 18, 2015:

Manila Times released a news report saying that the deal between Rice Aircraft Services - Eagle Copter joint venture and the Department of National Defense has been "axed", and only 7 aircraft were accepted by the Philippine Air Force. MaxDefense's sources also confirmed that there are indeed 7 helicopters already passed testing and accepted into service with the Philippine Air Force. It is unconfirmed though if the how many are Super Delta standards among the 7 accepted units.

Since the source of this news is questionable, MaxDefense is still verifying the report with other media organizations and from people involved in the deal.

The link on the news report can be accessed HERE.

If this is true, it would be a loss for the Philippine Air Force. Sources confirmed that aside from the 7 helicopters already with the PAF, another 6 helicopters already passed the acceptance test by the PAF several weeks ago, and are only awaiting for the PAF to accept them. While the balance 8 helicopters have already undergone internal testing by RASI and are only awaiting for the PAF to test them. With only 7 helicopters accepted, the PAF will not meet its required numbers, and according to MaxDefense sources, there are no immediate alternatives available that can catch the deal's downfall.


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