By: Jaime Sinapit
MANILA, Philippines -- The first two FA-50 “Golden Eagle” jet fighters from South Korea will be touching down at Clark airbase in Pampanga on Friday.
The Philippines has acquired 12 of the two-seater aircraft from Korean Aerospace Inc. for P18.9 billion as part of the military’s modernization program. All the fighters are expected to be delivered by 2017.
Philippine Air Force commander Lieutenant General Jeffrey Delgado will lead the welcome of the jets. Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin has also been invited.
Delgado earlier rode one of the fighters during test flights in South Korea.
The FA-50, an upgraded version of KAI’s supersonic T-50 advance trainer jet, is expected to boost the Air Force’s capability to patrol the country’s airspace. However, the jets that will be delivered are not yet combat-ready.
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