Breaking news
The Philippines plans to purchase 24 additional KAI FA-50 light combat aircraft.
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World
Defense & Security News - Philippines |
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| The Philippines plans to purchase 24 additional KAI FA-50 light combat aircraft | |||
The Philippines
is planning to purchase 24 more combat aircraft, adding to the 12 FA-50
fighter jets it had ordered from South Korea in 2014, the Stockholm
International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said. It did not specify
when or from whom the aircraft would be ordered, local media revealed
on March 20.
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 A first batch of 12 KAI FA-50 light combat aircraft is on order, with deliveries scheduled by mid-2017 |
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The
FA-50s were the first order by the Philippines for advanced combat aircraft
in decades amid the increasing tensions with China over disputed territories
in the South China Sea. A first batch of 12 KAI FA-50 light combat aircraft is on order, with deliveries scheduled by mid-2017. Aerial capabilities of the Philippine Air Force currently mainly consists of ageing S-211 trainer and light attack aircraft and OV-10 Bronco light attack aircraft. Since the 1990s, the Philippine Air Force has been using the S-211 as a Trainer with secondary Attack Capability. These were redesignated as AS-211s and nicknamed as "Warriors". With the retirement of the F-5 fighters in 2005, the additional task of air defense was assigned to it as well. The Philippine Air Force (PAF) received 24 OV-10As from U.S. stocks in 1991, later followed by a further nine from the United States, and eight ex-Thai Air Force OV-10Cs in 2003–2004. The FA-50 is a new light combat aircraft manufactured by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), for the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF). It is a light combat version of the T-50 Golden Eagle supersonic advanced jet trainer and light attack aircraft. |
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