The Philippine Air Force (PAF) is set to acquire twelve additional FA-50 fighters to strengthen its combat capability and counter what appears to be a rapidly rising security threat from the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
Filipino news agency Inquirer reported on January 20 that in light of ongoing tensions in the South China Sea (known as the West Philippines Sea in Manila), the Philippines intends to acquire 12 more light aircraft from South Korea at a cost of P40 billion (US$690 million), significantly enhancing its air capability.
The report noted that the Philippines and South Korea are working on the terms of reference for the government-to-government agreement, as revealed in the Procurement Monitoring Report issued by the Department of National Defense (DND) earlier this month.
The PAF already operates 12 FA-50PH fighter jets that it acquired from Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) in 2014 as part of a deal valued at P18.9 billion (US$320 million) during the administration of Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino Jr.
The aircraft is extensively used for patrolling missions. However, it was also used in combat roles during the Filipino war against the Islamic State in 2017, called the “Marawi Siege,” and dubbed as a game changer by the PAF officials.
The FA-50 purchase comes at a time when the Philippines has virtually been pushed to the wall in the South China Sea, as recently highlighted by Jonathan Malaya, assistant director-general of the National Security Council. China has been conducting aggressive maneuvers against Filipino forces in disputed territories, occasionally assaulting and expelling them from waters that China considers its “territorial waters.”
The Philippines is determined to protect its territorial claims in the South China Sea, which has led to frequent clashes between Philippine forces and China’s coast guard, navy, and alleged militia boats. These confrontations have also triggered concerns of a wider regional conflict that could involve the United States.
Currently, the FA-50 is the only combat-capable aircraft in PAF’s inventory. In fact, the service was earlier mulling the deployment of FA-50 for escorting its patrol aircraft over the South China Sea last year. The FA-50 is based on the T-50, a trainer aircraft capable of supersonic flight that was modified from the F-16 to train pilots for the KF-16 and F-15K.
The FA-50 is predominantly designed for air defense, strike, and jet training missions. As compared to the T-50, the FA-50 features a longer radome, a tactic datalink, enhanced avionics, and a larger internal fuel capacity.
It is also reportedly equipped with an Israeli EL/M-2032 pulse-Doppler radar. It may not be equipped to combat the challenges posed by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), but the new purchase would reinforce the PAF fleet with numbers to take on different tasks.
Notably, previous reports indicated that the KAI was looking to sell upgraded FA-50 to existing customers of the aircraft. Shin Dong Hak, vice-president of international business development at KAI, said the company planned to enhance the datalink and add larger external fuel tanks to Manila’s current fleet of 12 FA-50 aircraft.
He also noted that new jets sold to the Philippines would feature the Raytheon Phantom Strike active electronically scanned array radar, thus replacing the existing mechanically scanned radar.
EurAsian Times could not independently verify these claims. However, the DND has officially confirmed that it is indeed proceeding with an upgrade of its existing FA-50s.
Expanding Military Shopping List Of The Philippines
Manila is rapidly modernizing its armed forces to deter China and enhance its combat capability. The Philippines Department of National Defense (DND) earlier stated that it plans to buy 40 multi-role fighter jets, among other sophisticated weapon systems. Two aircraft have been offered to the country: the Saab Gripen-E and the Lockheed Martin’s F-16 Block 70/72.
Notably, the latest FA-50 acquisition comes amid warnings from military analysts that the PAF is arguably the country’s least robust military component, highlighting the need for at least a dozen squadrons of multirole jets to effectively protect the archipelago’s airspace.
The Inquirer report states that the Philippines DND also confirmed that a P6.5 billion (US$110 million) deal for six Embraer Super Tucano light attack aircraft for the PAF’s 15th Strike Wing was signed in December 2024. The purchase is meant to reinforce the PAF fleet in the wake of the gap left by the decommissioning of the last two remaining Rockwell OV-10 Bronco light attack aircraft and two AH-1S Cobra attack helicopters.
In addition, the DND has announced the P1 billion (US$17 million) purchase of an aeromedical Bell 412 EPX helicopter for the Philippine Army’s use in emergency medical missions.
The report further stated that the country has also planned an upgrade of various cyber systems for the Armed Forces of the Philippines, upgrades for the PAF’s ground-based air defense system, and some new missiles.
Citing some unidentified sources, the report further states that South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) will likely deliver in March 2025 the first of the two guided-missile Malwar-class corvettes ordered by the Philippines Navy. These corvettes, ordered by the Philippines in 2021, come equipped with anti-ship, anti-submarine, and anti-aircraft capabilities.
In addition to the above-mentioned systems, the Philippines is reportedly considering the purchase of nine BrahMos missile batteries for its Army, as recently reported by the EurAsian Times.
If finalized, this would be Manila’s second order of the BrahMos missile. In 2022, the Philippines signed a US$375 million deal with India for three batteries of the shore-based, anti-ship variant of the BrahMos missile for its naval forces.
Last year, Manila said it wanted to acquire the US Typhon mid-range missile system to bolster external defense capabilities. General Romeo Brawner Jr., the country’s military chief, announced on August 29 that the Philippines aims to procure the Mid-Range Capability (MRC) missile system, commonly known as Typhon. This was reiterated by the government again last month, triggering a fiery reaction by China, which accused the country of triggering an unprecedented arms race.
Cornered by the PLA forces in the South China Sea, Manila is committed to spending at least 1.894 trillion pesos (US$33.74 billion) to modernize and boost its military by acquiring new systems, upgrading the existing systems, and upgrading military infrastructure.
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