Manila gets 10 old helicopters from Washington

MANILA, June 8 (Reuters) - The Philippines will get at least 10 second-hand ''Huey'' helicopters from the United States to boost the local military's counter-insurgency operations, an air force spokesman said today.

Lieutenant-Colonel Epifanio Panzo said some senior air force generals will fly the refurbished Vietnam War-era UH-1H choppers from a northern airbase to the capital Manila for a turnover ceremony tomorrow.

''These were part of the helicopters that were promised to us by US President George W Bush during his visit to Manila in 2003,'' said Panzo, adding another 10 ''Hueys'' were expected to be delivered within the year.

The US embassy in Manila said the second-hand helicopters were repaired and upgraded to fly at night at the cost of 22 million dollar under Washington's foreign military financing programme.

A senior Philippine defence official said one of the choppers delivered this week was among six second-hand UH-1H helicopters ''acquired using Philippine funds in 2004''.

Manila spent 7 million dollar to transfer 10 UH-1H helicopters under the US Department of Defense's excess defence articles programme, but inflation and the rising cost of labour reduced the number of helicopters to six.

Five units had been delivered in May, the defence official, who declined to be named, told Reuters.

The Philippines has 40 helicopters, mostly second-hand, donated by the United States as part of military assistance to fight communist rebels and Islamic militants in the south of the mainly Roman Catholic country.

Two have been lost in recent accidents, including one in April when a chopper on training flight hit a motorcycle in the central Philippines, killing nine people.

Panzo said the UH-1H helicopters were the workhorses of the Philippine military, used in delivering supplies and troops and evacuating sick and wounded soldiers in combat.

REUTERS GT VC1550