Amid applause from Philippine defense officials, the FA-50 jets touched down at Clark Freeport, a former US Air Force base in Pampanga, where fire trucks sprayed water as a traditional welcome salute for the still-unarmed aircraft. Bad weather delayed the delivery of the jet last Friday.
The Philippines bought 12 FA-50s, which are primarily trainer jets that the military converted to also serve as multi-role combat aircraft, from Korea Aerospace Industries at a cost of P18.9 billion ($402 million). The other jets would be delivered in batches until 2017.
Weapons that include bombs and rockets for the FA-50s will be purchased later.
“We’re glad we’re finally back to the supersonic age,“ Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said.
The Philippine military decommissioned its last fleet of supersonic combat aircraft, the F-5, in 2005.
Defense public affairs chief Arsenio Andolog said the jets would be stationed at the Subic freeport facing the West Philippine Sea where China has ramped up its presence by deploying more vessels and building artificial islands.
A military modernization program that included plans for the purchase of at least a squadron of fighter jets and naval frigates didn’t happen for several years largely because of a lack of funds.
Over the years, the military has deteriorated to become one of Asia’s weakest.
Under President Aquino, however, territorial spats with China over islands in the South China Sea escalated and resulted in the Chinese seizure of Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal in 2012, prompting the military to scramble to acquire new navy ships and air force planes with the help of its long-time defense treaty ally, the United States.
Lt. Col. Rolando Condrad Peña III, one of three Filipino air force pilots who received training in South Korea to fly the FA-50s, said that the jets could carry enough munitions payload and could be used in air-to-air and air-to-ground combat.
“Now that we have a supersonic aircraft our reaction time will be faster,” Pena told reporters.
“The arrival of the aircraft is very significant because it adds up to the capability,” Peña said.
“We have to contend with the subsonic aircraft, now that we have a supersonic aircraft our reaction time will be faster and we are more capable with this type of aircraft,” he added. (Ding Cervantes and Cecille Suerte Felipe, Philippine Star)
PHOTO:
SUPERSONIC AGE: Two Philippine Air Force FA-50PH fighter jets taxi on the runway upon landing at Clark Air Base in Pampanga yesterday. The first two of the 12 brand new fighter jets from South Korea arrived as part of the country’s modernization program. Inset shows Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and Armed Forces chief Gen. Hernando Iriberri during the welcome ceremony. (Kriz John Rosales)
Read More: http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2015/11/29/1527087/philippines-gets-fighter-jets-korea
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