Air Force defends purchase of 18 trainer aircraft

MANILA, Philippines – The Air Force yesterday defended the acquisition of 18 units of trainer aircraft from Italy, saying this would improve the quality of education offered to its student pilots.

Air Force spokesman Lt. Col. Miguel Ernesto Okol also stressed that the purchase of trainers underwent the necessary process.

“(The acquisition of trainers) will greatly boost the training of pilots if not lessen the training time,” Okol said in a statement. 

“The process involving the procurement of new trainer planes or any equipment for the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) has been established already and was deemed necessary. It undergoes a long, tedious and meticulous process,” he added. 

Iloilo Rep. Jerry Treñas earlier claimed that the AFP misplaced its priorities when it decided to buy trainer jets for the Air Force.

Treñas said the military should have modernized the basic tools of infantrymen, especially those in hot spots.

“Many of our soldiers in the field are highly demoralized because their generals seem to be more concerned in training jet pilots who will most likely end up flying commercial airplanes, instead of providing them with better weapons, body protection and combat equipment,” the lawmaker said last Monday. 

Okol, however, maintained that the acquisition of new trainer planes is an essential part of the AFP modernization plan.  

“The new trainers will address a capability shortfall such as lack of pilots to operate the other equipment,” he said, adding that the additional aircraft will also ease the backlog of students who are about to undergo flying exercises.

The Air Force has bought a total of 18 units of basic trainer aircraft from Augusta, which is expected to complete delivery by April next year. The whole package, equivalent to a squadron, would cost the government P621 million.

Augusta has delivered eight units to the Air Force. Before the delivery of aircraft by Augusta, the Air Force had 20 trainers.