[Courtesy of KAI]
The Philippines aims to buy more light jet fighters from South Korea to guard its exclusive economic zone following the delivery of 12 FA-50s that will be completed in late 2017, according to IHS Jane's Defence Weekly.
The British weekly quoted an unnamed senior official at the Philippine Air Force (PAF) as saying that priorities in PAF's medium-term modernisation programme include securing orders of additional light combat aircraft.
The PAF aims to procure an additional 36 FA-50s in order to "detect, intercept, and neutralise" any perceived threat in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), the official was quoted as sayong.
He also confirmed that the PAF would look to secure government approval for the additional purchase of FA-50s following the delivery of 12 aircraft, IHS Jane's said. Under a 390 million US dollar contract, FA-50 deliveries started in December 2015.
South Korea's aircraft maker, Korea Aerospace Industries, has struggled to shore up its charges into the global warplane market by pushing for sales of its T-50 supersonic jet trainer to Indonesia, the Philippines, Iraq and other countries.
The FA-50, a combat version of the T-50, can carry a weapons load of up to 4.5 tons.
Aju News Lim Chang-won = cwlim34@ajunews.com
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Park Sae-jin
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