The Philippine Air Force is setting aside P106.4 million to acquire spare parts for the maintenance of its seven Sokol combat helicopters.
The Philippine Government Procurement System (Philgeps) said in its website that the project is divided into five lots.
“Keeping spares of the aircraft is part of our planning. We don’t have to use it now,” Air Force spokesperson Col. Enrico Canaya said on Thursday.
A pre-bid conference is scheduled on Feb. 1 at the Air Force Procurement Center in Villamor Air Base in Pasay City. Submission and opening of bids, meanwhile, is on Feb. 15.
The government acquired eight Sokol choppers from Polish firm PZL Swidnik for P2.8 billion. It arrived in batches in 2012 and 2013.
One of the choppers, however, crashed in Marawi in 2014 due to “human error.”