CLARK AIR BASE, Philippines—The Philippines on Saturday took delivery of two Korean-made fighter jets—the country’s first supersonic combat aircraft in a decade—as it strengthens its underfunded military amid an escalating territorial feud with China.
The FA-50 jets touched down at Clark Freeport, a former U.S. Air Force base north of Manila, as Philippine defense officials applauded and fire trucks sprayed water as a traditional welcome salute for the still-unarmed aircraft.
The Philippines bought 12 FA-50s, which are primarily trainer jets that the military converted to also serve as multi-role combat aircraft, from Korea Aerospace Industries at a cost of 18.9 billion pesos ($402 million). The other jets will be delivered in batches through 2017.
Weapons for the FA-50s, including bombs and rockets, will be purchased later.
“We’re glad we’re finally back to the supersonic age,” Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said.
The Philippine military decommissioned its last fleet of supersonic combat aircraft, the F-5, in 2005. A military modernization program that included plans for the purchase of at least a squadron of fighter jets and naval frigates didn’t happen for several years largely because of a lack of funds.
Over the years, the military has deteriorated to become one of Asia’s weakest.
Under current President Benigno Aquino III, however, territorial spats with China over islands in the South China Sea have escalated and resulted in the Chinese seizure of a disputed shoal in 2012, prompting the military to scramble to acquire new navy ships and air force planes with the help of the United States, the Philippines’ longtime defense treaty ally.
