THE Philippines through the Department of Defense has signed a contract for 12 more FA-50 fighter jets worth $700 million.
The supplier, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) made the disclosure jets. Just three months after one of the planes crashed during a mission against communist rebels.
KAI said delivery of the jets will be completed by 2030.
The Philippines, which has yet to confirm the transaction, purchased a dozen of the light warplanes in 2014.
In a statement, the South Korean firm said the aircraft would feature enhanced capabilities including “aerial refuelling for extended range, (Active Electronically Scanned Array) radar, and advanced air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons systems”.
Just days before the Philippines Independence Day commemoration, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) reported the completion of the extension of a runway on Pag-asa Island.
Meanwhile, construction of the hangar and control tower on the island is also nearing completion, AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said.
The facilities are part of Horizon 3 of the AFP modernization program.
“We are aiming to complete [these] within the year,” Padilla said. “It is well within our targets. They have to be completed this year. But there will be enhancements to all these projects. What we want is development in general. We’d like to really look at the future of Pag-asa Island and, hopefully, in the near future, this would be a tourist spot.”
She added that the facilities will not only be used by the AFP, but also by the community on the island.
“We are looking at multi-role facilities, not just for the defense (department), but also for HADR [humanitarian assistance and disaster response] purposes,” Padilla explained.
“We will maintain our presence in the communities in the area. It would be good if the communities are thriving. The whole of government, with the AFP, really supports this community enhancement, Padilla said.
She emphasized that the soldiers were “inherently development practitioners,” helping in the development of communities.
“In areas far from civilization, so to speak, we become teachers, carpenters. We build schools, we bring our doctors and dentists. We are always in our communities, so there, even if it is a far-flung island, our military assets can also be used to develop the communities,” Padilla said.
“Here, our troops are part of the community. They’re one with the locals,” she added. With AFP
