MANILA, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Armed Forces of the Philippines has officially decommissioned its 10 vintage UH-1D Huey helicopters, a military spokesman confirmed Thursday.
Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Maynard Mariano said the aircraft manufactured by U.S. Bell Helicopter, which the Philippines acquired from the United States in 2013 and 2014, "have served their purpose."
The military used the decades-old helicopters to fight the local terrorists and conduct relief operations when earthquakes and typhoons struck the archipelago.
Mariano said the decommissioned aircraft will be stored by the Philippine Air Force (PAF) 410th maintenance wing based in Clark Air Base, north of Manila.
The Philippine military force is mainly equipped with U.S.-made weapons and military devices. However, a series of related tragedies recently hitting the Philippine servicemen have stirred up dismay among Filipinos at the purchase of second-hand U.S.-made aircraft.
On July 4, a 33-year-old Lockheed C-130 Hercules military plane crashed in the southern Philippines, claiming 53 lives and marking the worst air catastrophe in the Philippines' military history in nearly 30 years. Enditem
