The Philippine Air Force (PAF) showed off its two recently acquired fighter jets at the Mactan-Benito Ebuen Air Base (MBEAB) on Wednesday, March 8.
Both jets are part of the 12 FA-50 PH Fighting Eagle purchased by the government as part of the PAF modernization program under the Aquino administration. They flew over Mactan Island, Kalibo, Roxas City, Iloilo City, San Carlos City, and Bacolod City at around 10:40 am for an over-flight and familiarization flight mission.
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The government acquired the jets “to beef up the country’s territorial defense capabilities.”
More over-flight missions are to be expected over Cebu and other Visayas areas in the next few days.
According to PAF’s Facebook page, the flight mission is meant to “show the general public that these new air assets are vital in strengthening the country’s territorial borders, and that the PAF has already re-entered the supersonic era.”
They added, “The over-flight missions will also serve as a great avenue to train the pilots and allow them to be acquainted with the various aspects in flight missions such as the country’s different terrains, weather, and possible areas of interest.”
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Out of the 12 jets ordered, six have been delivered so far. The other six jets are expected to be delivered within this year.
A pro-AFP modernization Facebook page, Philippines Defense Forces Forum, also covered this report about the fighter jets over-flight missions, while slamming President Rodrigo Duterte’s earlier dismissal of the acquisition of the jets as merely a “waste of money” since they can only be used for ceremonial fly-bys. They used hashtags #SoarHighPAF and #NotForCeremonialFlybysOnly.
As of writing, the post has gone viral, gaining more than 18,800 shares and 25,000 reactions.
In June last year, Duterte said that the fighter jets cannot be used to fight insurgency, adding that these cannot challenge China, which occupied Scarborough Shoal.
“To the Air Force, do not misconstrue me. I’m a Filipino. I’m a citizen of this country and I have every right to say what I want to say. Sayang ang pera dun. You cannot use them for anti-insurgency, which is the problem at the moment. You can only use these for ceremonial fly-by,” Duterte said.
Sources: ( sunstar.com.ph , facebook.com , philstar.com )
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