AFP to have 3 C-130s by yearend

MANILA, Philippines – The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will have three operational C-130 cargo transport planes before yearend, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said.

Speaking at the first anniversary of the Lingap Kawal Foundation at Camp Aguinaldo Friday evening, Teodoro gave assurance that there will be two more C-130 cargo planes to prop up the Philippine Air Force’s current inventory.

At present, the AFP has only one air-capable C-130 Hercules plane in the PAF inventory following the crash of another last Aug. 26 in the Davao Gulf.

Teodoro said two C-130 planes are currently being refurbished, one of which is already undergoing test flights.

Without saying how much funds were used to put back the two C-130 cargo planes into the air, he said it is much lower compared to purchasing brand new or newly refurbished ones from abroad.

“We could have had four C-130 planes before the yearend but one was involved in an accident,” he said.

Since the country is an archipelago, the military, as per defense assessment, needs at least five flying C-130 Hercules planes to be able to fully accomplish its mission.

In times of disaster or conflict, especially in Mindanao, the C-130 planes have proven to be the military’s workhorse in the quick transport of troops to the frontlines or in flying supplies to disaster-stricken areas.

On several occasions the government also utilized the C-130 planes to fly mercy missions here and abroad.  – Jaime Laude