Philippines gets fighter aircraft amid South China Sea dispute

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Philippines on Saturday, November 28, received the delivery of two Korean-made fighter jets — the country's first supersonic combat aircraft in a decade — as it strengthens its underfunded military amid an escalating territorial feud with China, the Associated Press reports.

Amid applause from Philippine defense officials, the FA-50 jets touched down at Clark Freeport, a former U.S. Air Force base north of Manila, where fire trucks sprayed water as a traditional welcome salute for the still-unarmed aircraft.

The Philippines bought 12 FA-50s, which are primarily trainer jets that the military converted to also serve as multi-role combat aircraft, from Korea Aerospace Industries at a cost of 18.9 billion pesos ($402 million). The other jets would be delivered in batches until 2017.

Weapons that include bombs and rockets for the FA-50s will be purchased later.

"We're glad we're finally back to supersonic age," Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said.

The Philippine military decommissioned its last fleet of supersonic combat aircraft, the F-5, in 2005. A military modernization program that included plans for the purchase of at least a squadron of fighter jets and naval frigates didn't happen for several years largely because of a lack of funds.