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FA-50 Buy Puts Manila Back in the Fighter Jet Business
FA-50 buy puts Manila back in the jet business - 3/28/2014 - Flight Global
By: Greg Waldron
Singapore Source: Flightglobal.com
The Philippines has signed a contract for 12 Korea Aerospace Industries FA-50 fighter aircraft.The deal is worth $420 million, with all aircraft to be delivered within 38 months after the contract goes into effect, says KAI in a statementThe long-awaited deal was signed between the governments of the Philippines and South Korea, KAI adds.The announcement marks an important step for Manila, which has no operational fighter aircraft after it retired its Northrop F-5s in 2004. During the 2000s its focus was primarily on counterinsurgency missions in the southern Philippines, but Chinas increasing assertiveness in the South China Sea has prompted Manila to rethink its conventional capabilities.The FA-50 is a logical choice for Manila because the aircraft, based on the T-50 advanced jet trainer, can serve in both training and light combat roles.Powered by a single General Electric F404 engine with afterburner, the FA-50 is entering service with the South Korean air force, and in late December Iraq signed a $1.1 billion contract for 24 aircraft. In 2011, Jakarta signed a $400 million deal for 16 T-50s, which is designated the T-50i in Indonesian service.
Can Jordan, Oman, KSA and UAE join in this FA-50 program and also to develop a new version of it with a single seat having composites, IFR, FLIR and IRST Pod embeded like on UAVs and new engine from GE.