Manila, Dec. 29 -- The Philippine Air Force (PAF) spent 2025 quietly building up its capabilities to protect the country's vast aerial domains, as well as its capacity to conduct disaster relief missions.

During the year, PAF accepted 10 additional S-70 Black Hawk combat utility helicopters - five that were commissioned on Aug. 13 and another five on Nov. 14.

The 10 choppers - delivered on July 15 and Oct. 20 - were the third the fourth batches under the 32-unit S-70i Black Hawk acquisition procured through the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Modernization Program, PAF spokesperson Col. Ma Christina Basco said in a recent interview.

The two previous batches were delivered on June 10 and Dec. 9 last year. The PHP32-billion contrac...