First 2 Korean Jets For Philippines to Arrive Next Year

AFTER 10 years without a fighter jet in its arsenal, President Benigno Aquino III said the country will take delivery of two FA-50 jets from Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd., the first batch of 12 multi-role light fighters the country acquired from South Korea.
“The last time we had fighters in the inventory was in 2005 so by next year an entire decade has already passed,” Aquino said, adding that the delivery of the 10 remaining units will be completed in 2017.
Aquino inspected one of the FA-50 fighter jets at the Gimhae Airbase in Busan, South Korea where he met with Korea Aerospace Industries president Sung Yong-ha and several Korean Air Force officials.
The FA-50 is the most advanced version of the T-50, South Korea’s first indigenous supersonic aircraft used to train pilots in the more advanced F-15 and F-16 fighter jets, but it can be fitted with advanced medium-range air-to-air or beyond-visual range missiles.
defense-studies