The United States government has completed the delivery of a new C-208B Grand Caravan EX aircraft configured for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions to the Philippine Air Force (PAF), as part of bilateral defense cooperation and military assistance between both countries.
The aircraft was formally accepted on September 19, 2023, during a ceremony held at Clark Air Base in Mabalacat City, Pampanga. The event was attended by the Philippine Secretary of National Defense, Gilberto Teodoro Jr., who received the aircraft documentation from the Chief of the U.S. Joint United States Military Assistance Group (JUSMAG)-Philippines, Colonel Edward R. Evans, of the U.S. Army.
The documents were subsequently transferred to the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, General Romeo S. Brawner Jr., and later to the Commanding General of the PAF, Lieutenant General Stephen P. Parreño. Officials from the Ministry of National Defense and the Northern Luzon Command (COMNOLCOM) also took part in the ceremony.
The C-208B Grand Caravan EX ISR will be operated by the 300th Air Intelligence and Security Wing (AISW) and is intended to support internal security operations, territorial defense, and humanitarian assistance and disaster response missions, including rapid damage assessment and needs analysis tasks. The platform will also be used in counterterrorism operations and in support of security forces.
With this addition, the Philippine Air Force now operates three C-208B ISR aircraft in its inventory. The first two were delivered in August 2017, also as donations from the U.S. government, and began operations during the Marawi conflict.
At the same time, Washington continues to expand its support for Philippine air capabilities through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. Recent contractual documents indicate a budget increase for a contract awarded to Textron, which includes the provision of Cessna and Beechcraft aircraft for partner countries, including the Philippines. According to these documents, Manila requires contractual support for two King Air 360 Extended Range aircraft and four Cessna 208-Bs.
Currently, there are no King Air 360 aircraft in service within the Armed Forces or other Philippine government agencies. However, the funding increase could significantly expand the PAF’s manned ISR fleet, complementing existing assets.
Since their introduction in 2017, the C-208B ISR aircraft have been intensively deployed in Mindanao and in the South China Sea, initially in support of counterterrorism operations and later in maritime surveillance missions. During a ceremony held in 2023, the then Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces highlighted their operational importance.
“[It will help] enhance our capability to ensure that we protect our territory and our sovereign rights,” General Romeo Brawner stated.
The delivery of the new Grand Caravan EX is part of the country’s Security Sector Assistance Roadmap, a joint initiative aimed at strengthening the intelligence and surveillance capabilities of the Philippine armed forces amid growing regional tensions.
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