The Ministry of Defense of the Philippines to purchase 16 Black Hawk type tactical multitarget helicopters of 20 million dollars from Sikorsky Aircraft instead of Russian ones due to the U.S. sanctions against Russian military export, Reuters reports.
‘The air force will sign a contract early next year for the 16 Black Hawks, even though the Russians offered the second lowest price,’ Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said.
The Philippines had initially agreed to buy 16 Bell 412 helicopters from Canada but the deal was scrapped in February after Canada expressed concern they could be used to fight rebels.
As we reported the U.S. Treasury of the State has expanded the list of individuals and entities, which fall under the anti-Russian sanctions for the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the continuing aggression in Donbas.
Besides, it was reported that Russia fails to observe the 1991 U.S. law on the ban of the military use of chemical and biological weapons. This will result in tough sanctions against the Kremlin by the U.S.
