MANILA, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said on Thursday that the 16 brand new Bell helicopters that the Philippines is buying from Canada will be used during humanitarian operations not combat operations.
Lorenzana said in a statement that the 16 helicopters, which Philippines is procuring for the Armed Forces of Philippines (AFP), "will primarily be used for the transportation of personnel and supplies, ferrying wounded and injured soldiers, and the conduct of humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) operations."
"They are not attack or close support aircraft. While they may be used in support of Internal Security Operations or ISO, their role is limited to those that I mentioned," Lorenzana said.
As its designation "Combat Utility Helicopter or CUH" connotes, Lorenzana said "the Bell CUH 412 is a utility helicopter and, contrary to what some parties mistakenly believe, its mission is to save lives."
Lorenzana said he was surprised by the news, saying he met with Bell Helicopter officials Tuesday during an airshow in Singapore. "I met with the Bell people in Singapore two nights ago and they have not indicated any hitch in the project," he said.
Should the Canadian government choose to discontinue their sale of the aircraft to the Philippines, Lorenzana said the Philippines "will procure them from another source."
Lorenzana was reacting to reports that the Canadian government has ordered a review of the 233-million-U.S. dollar deal it signed with the Philippines for the purchase of 16 helicopters amid concerns that the aircraft could be used to fight rebels.
Canadian Trade Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said that the deal - formally signed on Tuesday, had been struck in 2012 on the understanding the helicopters would be used for search-and-rescue missions.
Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company, announced on Tuesday the signature of a purchase agreement with the Philippines' Department of National Defense (DND) for 16 Bell 412EPI helicopters that will be operated by the Philippine Air Force (PAF).
It said the Bell helicopters, fully configured and equipped with advanced features, are being acquired as part of Philippine military modernization plans, and were purchased by the DND through a government-to-government contract with the Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC).
Bell Helicopters is expected to deliver the helicopters to the Philippines starting first quarter of next year.