Manila entered into an agreement with Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) to procure 12 additional FA-50 fighter jets, South Korean media reported on Wednesday.
Valued at 1 trillion won (approximately $700 million or P40 billion), the contract was signed on June 3 by senior officials from the Department of National Defense (DND) and KAI.
The deal includes not only the aircraft but also logistical support, with deliveries scheduled between 2026 and 2030.
According to reports, KAI stated that the newly ordered FA-50s are an enhanced, more advanced variant compared to the jets currently in service with the Philippine Air Force (PAF).
The DND has yet to confirm this information coming from the South Korean media.
The PAF acquired 12 FA-50s from KAI for P18.9 billion under the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) modernization program. Delivery of the aircraft began in 2015 and was completed in 2017.
These have a top speed of Mach 1.5 or one and a half times the speed of sound and are capable of being fitted with air-to-air missiles, including the AIM-9 “Sidewinder” air-to-air and heat-seeking missiles, aside from light automatic cannons and bombs.
