Breaking news
Philippine Air Force's FA-50PH fighter jets conduct first combat missions.
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World Defense & Security News - The Philippines
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Philippine Air Force's FA-50PH fighter jets conduct first combat missions
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The Philippines has deployed South Korea’s FA-50 supersonic fighter jets for the first time in combat, in a move to wipe out Islamic State(IS)-affiliated terror groups. According to local media on Monday, the Filipino military has been conducting air attacks and bombing operations against IS-affiliated groups converging in the Province of Lanao del Sur since Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2017.
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 Two PAF FA-50PH fighter jets(Credit: Philippine Air Force) |
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The Associated Press said that fighter jets, including South Korea’s FA-50s, were mobilized to drop six 225-kilogram bombs.
Philippine Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Eduardo Año assessed that the FA-50s can be utilized for not only national defense and ceremonies but also security operations. He said the South Korean jets were remarkable and precise. Last June when he was president-elect, Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte raised issues with the FA-50s purchased by the Benigno Aquino government being used only in ceremonies. The Philippines purchased 12 FA-50 jets for 420 million U.S. dollars. The jets are to be exported to the Philippines through this year. So far, four jets have been introduced. The FA-50 is South Korea's first homegrown fighter jet based on the T-50 advanced trainer. The jet can travel one-point-five times faster than the speed of sound and is capable of flying two-thousand kilometers when carrying four-point-five tons of arms. |
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