In 2015 the Hukbong Himpapawid ng Pilipinas (Philippine Air Force - PAF) ushered in a new era when the KAI (Korea Aerospace Industries) FA-50 Fighting Eagle entered service. The PAF retired its aging fleet of Northrop F-5A/B Freedom Fighters some ten years earlier and had been without a dedicated air defense fighter, operating the Aermacchi (formerly SIAI-Marchetti) AS.211 Warrior trainer/light attack aircraft in that role as a stop-gap.
A PAF AS.211 of the 105th Fighter Training Squadron over Crow Valley Gunnery Range.
Derived
from the KAI T-50 Golden Eagle trainer, the FA-50 is the epitome of a
'best bang 'fer the buck' combat aircraft these days. A small,
lightweight multi-role aircraft capable of supersonic speeds, the FA-50
is a solid ground attack platform, a capable air defense fighter, and
can also act as a conversion trainer, all at a low-ish cost of 30-35
million USD (1.6-1.9 billion PHP) per airframe, making it an ideal
choice for low-budget air forces such as the PAF.
In August of
2012, the Philippines Department of National Defense announced that
twelve TA-50 Golden Eagle trainers would be acquired for the PAF.
January of 2013 brought another announcement that the model to be
acquired was the FA-50 Fighting Eagle, a more advanced variant of the
type with air to air capabilities. The deal was formalized in March of
2014, and would cost the Philippines 421.12 million USD (18.9 billion
PHP). Deliveries took place from November of 2015 to May of 2017.
Philippine Air Force photo
The
specific variant operated by the PAF is the FA-50PH, and the jets are flown by the 7th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 5th Fighter Wing out of Basa Air Base Floridablanca, Pampanga, about 40 miles Northwest of Manila.
Since entering service, the FA-50PHs have been used for strikes against some of the various rebel and insurgent forces that have plagued the Philippines for decades. One crew was lost with their jet in March of 2025 when they crashed on Mt. Kalatungan, in the southern province of Bukidnon during a night sortie against communist insurgents. A case of CFIT (Controlled Flight Into Terrain), the pilot likely became disoriented in the darkness and was probably unaware of his exact position in relation to the mountain. Weather, specifically high winds, was also probably a significant contributing factor.
Philippine Air Force photo
In addition to the surviving eleven aircraft already in service, the PAF plans to acquire a further twelve jets which will have even greater capabilities. Improvements to be included are BVR (Beyond Visual Range) air-to-air capability, improved radar and targeting systems, increased fuel capacity, and in-flight refueling capability. The extant jets will also presumably be updated with some or all of these improvements.
Philippine Air Force photo
This increase of the PAF's FA-50PH
fleet, combined with the impending acquisition of F-16s from the USA
will provide the PAF with greater ground attack and air combat
capabilities than at any time in its history.
Your blogmeister got a bit more wordy than normal here. Despite that, TWW remains primarily a photo blog, and as the readership of no more than two or three and hopefully not less than zero will know, we do love our 'purty pikshurs around here. So we got'sum for ya, and, as usual, we'll let 'em do the rest of the talking.
Tangkilikin ang mga larawan...
Philippine Air Force photo
Philippine Air Force photo
Fade to Black...
