FACT CHECK: Philippines didn’t buy Swedish-made helicopter

Claim: A video shows a Swedish helicopter allegedly given by the Swedish government to the Philippines.  

The Philippine government supposedly bought the helicopter from Sweden and paid for it in full, which is why it was delivered free of charge.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The YouTube post has 46,940 views as of writing. 

Delivery for Royal Thai Army: The clip shown in the video containing the claim was first uploaded by YouTube user Prayoth Phongpharnich on December 4, 2022. The video shows the delivery of a UH-60 helicopter to the Royal Thai Army at Laem Chabang Port. 

Not Swedish-made: The UH-60 is not a Swedish-made helicopter as claimed. According to the United States Army Acquisition Support Center, the UH-60 is a Black Hawk utility helicopter model manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft of the American aerospace company Lockheed Martin Corporation. 

No helicopter deal: There are no reports from the Philippine and Swedish governments about a helicopter deal between the two countries. According to a Philippine News Agency article published on July 6, 2022, the only Swedish-made aircraft the Philippines is planning to buy is the Saab JAS-39 jet fighter for its multi-role fighter (MRF) project but no deal has been finalized between the two countries.

Debunked claims: Rappler has debunked similar claims about military aircraft supposedly received by the Philippines from deals and donations. A claim that said Russia gave helicopters to the Philippines was debunked by Rappler on February 16, 2023. On December 22, 2022, Rappler also debunked a claim that said the country bought Swedish jet fighters.

Instead of making false claims, why not just listen to what reliable and authoritative sources say on issues? – Lorenz Pasion/Rappler.com

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