A piece of Good news before the end of this week, on February 17, 2023, the Department of Budget and Management has released a Saro or Special Allotment Release Order amounting to 624,000,000.00 Million Pesos for the initial funding requirements of the Philippine Air Force Light Lift Aircraft Acquisition.
The released amount is 15% percent of the total Approved Budget for the Contract which is amounting to more than 4 Billion Pesos. The Philippine Air Force is expected to acquire an additional six NC-212i Aviocar from PT Dirgantara Indonesia.
Currently, the Philippine Air Force has two NC-212i Aviocar which have been in service with the Philippine Air Force since 2018, a proven workhorse, working in tandem with their bigger cousins the C-295 Medium Lift Aircraft in delivering needed supplies for combat and HADR purposes.
The acquisition of additional NC-212i Aviocar is also meant to replace the aging N-22 "Nomad" aircraft which has been with Philippine Air Force for decades already and the already retired Britten Norman Islander which is now in service with the Philippine Navy and Philippine Coast Guard.