Eight 412EP aircraft are being supplied to the Philippine military by Bell Helicopters in a deal financed by the Canadian Commercial Corporation.

The utility helicopters that will be manufactured in Canada by Bell have a normal cruise speed of 140 miles per hour and a range of 463 miles.

Bell Helicopters said five of the aircraft will be configured for combat utility operations and relief efforts, while the remaining aircraft will be configured for VIP use.

"We are honored that the Philippine Department of National Defense has selected Bell Helicopter to fulfill their mission requirements," said C.M. Hwang, managing director, Bell Helicopter's Asia Pacific region. "We are also grateful for the long-term trust that the Philippine government and DND have placed in Bell Helicopter to upgrade and improve mission capabilities."

The financing of the contract was negotiated between the Canadian Commercial Corporation and the Philippines under a 2012 memorandum of understanding for the purchase of defense and military related materials and services.

"We chose the Bell 412EP because of its versatility and performance in extreme environments," said Undersecretary Fernando I. Manalo from the Philippine Department of National Defense. "We are looking forward to the delivery of the first three aircraft in time for the Philippines to host the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in 2015."

CCC is a government corporation established to facilitate international trade on behalf of Canadian industry.