The US government is set to give 10 overhauled UH-1H Huey helicopters to the Philippine Air Force today. The aircrafts will be personally turn over by US Ambassador Kristie Kenney to President Arroyo at the Villamor Air Base.

The helicopters are part of the US assistance to the Philippine military's modernization program. It will be used to boost the military's potential to fight terrorism and to assist in case of calamities. The aircrafts that will be turned over today is a fraction of the 20 helicopters reserved for the Philippines by US President Bush in which the remaining 10 will be delivered later this year.

The helicopters were delivered last month and undergone a thorough maintenance and flight checks and were repainted with the PAF colors under the supervision of PAF specialists. They were overhauled in the United States through the US Foreign Military Financing program.

The turn over ceremony will be attended by Defense Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane, Armed Forces chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr., PAF chief Lt. Gen. Horacio Tolentino and senior officers of the US Embassy’s Joint US Military Assistance Group.