Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana (Presidential photo) MANILA - Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the down payment for the Philippine Air Force (PAF)'s Russian-sourced heavy-lift helicopter acquisition program will be released soon. "Also, the down payment for the heavy-lift helicopters, I think will be paid soon so that we will have the heavy-lift helicopter, Mi-17, of Russia. Malaking helicopter po iyon (that is a big helicopter)," Lorenzana said on the sidelines of the assumption ceremony of Maj. Gen. Connor Anthony Canlas as the new PAF chief on Tuesday night. Canlas replaced Lt. Gen. Allen Paredes, who retired from the service upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 56. The PAF earlier announced that it is looking at the possibility of acquiring heavy-lift helicopters as part of efforts to beef up its helicopter fleet. A heavy-lift helicopter is a type of rotary aircraft capable of lifting large numbers of personnel or cargo. The Mil Mi-17 is a Soviet-de