Two F/A-50 Fighter Jets Arrive in Philippines

Two of a squadron of FA-50 Lead-In Fighter Trainers (LIFT) that the Philippines acquired from South Korea arrived Saturday morning, November 28, at the former US air base in Clark, Pampanga.
The Philippine Air Force (PAF) flew S-211 trainer jets in a diamond formation to meet the FA-50s over Tarlac. A Water Cannon Salute was given to the jets while they were taxiing.
The arrival of the fighter jets marks the return of the Philippine Air Force to the supersonic age.
The jets were flown to the Philippines by South Korean pilots and will only be formally turned over to the Philippine Air Force after a series of acceptance flights.
Ten more FA-50s will arrive between 2016 and 2017 to complete the squadron.
The military modernization comes as the country faces the aggressiveness of China in the South China Sea, where it has built artificial islands.
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