2 new Philippine Air Force fighter jets arrive

The Philippine Air Force's (PAF) two new FA-50 fighter jets purchased from South Korea arrived in the Philippines on Saturday morning.

 

The two fighter jets flown in by Korean pilots were escorted by the PAF's two S-211 aircraft upon arrival at the Clark Air Base in Angeles City, Pampanga.

 

Defense chief Voltaire Gazmin and Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Gen. Hernando Iriberri led the arrival ceremony.

 

The two officials also inspected the two fighter jets, the first supersonic assets of the PAF since the decommissioning of the F-5s in 2005.

 

“We’re glad we’re finally back to supersonic age,” Gazmin said.

 

Lt. Col. Rolando Condrad Peña III, who was among the Filipino pilots trained to fly the aircraft, said the acquisition of the FA-50s will improve the country's military capability.

 

“We are very much elated and very proud that we now have this state-of-the-art aircraft. We’ve flown a push pull cable, subsonic aircraft – the S-211. Now that we have the FA-50s, it usher in a new history, so flying, going back, returning to the supersonic age so to speak,” he said.

 

“The aircraft is a lead in fighter trainer so it is a light attack aircraft. It can do light multi-role missions but primarily it is a lead in fighter trainer. This is going to be a transition platform for us, from flying the subsonic S-211 to the more advanced multi-role fighters we’ll be acquiring,” he added.

 

Peña also said they use the aircraft for various missions throughout the country and even interception if needed.

 

The two fighter jets are part of the 12 FA-50s purchased by the Philippines from the Korea Aerospace Industries for P18.9 billion, as part of the government's military modernization program.

 

The delivery of all 12 PA-50s are expected to be completed by 2017. —Andrei Medina/ALG, GMA News