November 28, 2007 | 12:00am
Until yesterday there was no word on what had happened to a military S-211 jet that went missing over the Spratlys in the South China Sea the other day. The jet, intended for training but used by the military for reconnaissance, has been dubbed the “widow-maker” for figuring in too many fatal crashes. But after grounding the remaining S-211 jets following every accident, the Philippine Air Force has been left with little choice but to use the planes again.
In one of Asia’s most poorly equipped air forces, every aircraft counts. Long dependent on the American security umbrella, the Armed Forces of the Philippines was left to fend for itself when the US bases were shut down between 1991 and 1992. There was little effort on the part of the political leadership to make up for what was lost. Among the branches that bore the brunt of neglect was the Philippine Air Force. Aircraft hand-me-downs inevitably deteriorated. Trainer jets used, by force of necessity, for other purposes broke down and crashed. Old helicopters could be brought down by kite strings.
Now another trainer jet is missing, possibly downed in the typhoon that slashed across Palawan the other day. Reports said the S-211 with two pilots was on its way to the Kalayaan Group of Islands to look for a fishing boat with a crew of 26 Filipinos that capsized last week. Another trainer jet managed to return to Palawan.
The country does not have enough funds for massive military spending, but it cannot afford to ignore the need for credible national defense. This means developing a minimum defense posture that does not rely on foreign assistance, so that a withdrawal of aid does not cripple the AFP. If allies provide defense aid, it should be considered a bonus rather than the principal sustenance of the Philippine military. As the latest incident has shown, guarding the country’s territorial waters and assisting in relief operations are just among the many functions that the PAF cannot perform efficiently without sufficient aircraft.
