In a display of aviation prowess, the Clark Air Base in Mabalacat City, Pampanga, witnessed a breathtaking airshow featuring a joint performance between the Philippine Air Force (PAF) and the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF).

The highlight of the event was the airborne spectacle presented by the renowned Black Eagles, the ROKAF's elite T-50B Advanced Supersonic Trainers.

The Black Eagles, consisting of eight T-50B jets, soared through the skies in perfect formation, accompanied by four FA50 Light Combat Aircraft from the PAF.

Following the Friendship Flight, the Black Eagles demonstrated their air superiority with a display of 23 maneuvers in just over half an hour.

"Very memorable ‘yung flight, we share the same passion in flying," Major Kermit Quijano, a PAF pilot, said.

"Very memorable, I cannot forget this," Major Yung Ha Park, a ROKAF pilot, added.

Visitors, many seeing an airshow for the first time, expressed their awe and delight.

"Ang ganda pala [ng mga airshows], sobrang ganda," Lea Parras, a spectator, said.

"Ang galing [nila], panay nga ang palakpak ko," Cely Manapat, another spectator, added.

BOND

The airshow is seen as a symbol of the strong bond between the Philippines and South Korea, according to National Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro.

"We are honored to have the Black Eagles here, to show us what the Korean is made of, and we can learn not only in modernization but also in meticulousness; to pay attention to their procedure, logistics, maintenance and other support," Teodoro said.

The last joint performance between the PAF and ROKAF was in 2022 at the Basa Air Base in Floridablanca, Pampanga.

MODERNIZATION

PAF is also expecting the modernization of its aircrafts.

"We are still expecting air assets under Horizon 2," Colonel Ma Consuelo Castillo, the spokesperson for the Philippine Air Force, said.

Horizon 2 is under the Revised Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Modernization Act, with a budget of about P300 billion.