Bad weather delays delivery of 2 fighter jets

MANILA, Philippines - Today’s scheduled delivery of two brand new South Korean-made FA-50 lead-in fighter jets to the country has been delayed due to bad weather, the Department of National Defense (DND) said.

Arsenio Andolong, director at the DND Office of Public Affairs, said the supersonic jets will touch down at the Air Force City Park at Clark Field in Pampanga at around 10 a.m. tomorrow.

The two lead-in fighter jets are part of a squadron of FA-50 fighter jets that the Philippines has acquired from South Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) through a government-to-government contract signed last year amounting to P18.9 billion.

Andolong yesterday said Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and other top defense and military officials will witness the arrival of the fighter jets.

Col. Enrico Canaya, Philippine Air Force spokesman, described the first delivery of the two fighter jets as historic, as this signals the return of supersonic age to the PAF.

The government decommissioned the F5 fighter jets in its inventory in 2005.

Meanwhile, Gazmin lauded the Senate for the immediate approval of the budget of the Armed Forces.