The Philippine Air Force (PAF) will incorporate new FA-50 Block 20 light fighters after signing a contract with South Korean company Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). The agreement, sealed yesterday, also includes logistical support and other associated services. The acquisition, which had been under negotiation for months between both parties, represents a new step in defense cooperation between Manila and South Korea.
Based on local media reports today, the Philippines has reached an agreement with KAI for the purchase of 12 FA-50 Block 20 fighters, expected to be delivered between 2026 and 2030. The contract, valued at 1 trillion won (approximately USD 700 million), was signed by the Department of National Defense (DND) and representatives of the South Korean firm and will double the country’s existing fleet of 12 FA-50 light fighters.
The acquisition of these units was closed in the early 2010s for a value of USD 323 billion, under the Armed Forces Modernization Program (AFP), which began to be received between 2015 and 2017. It has been mentioned that some of these combat aircraft have actively participated in important counterterrorism operations, as well as in international exercises, highlighting those carried out last year with F-22 Raptor fighters of the US Air Force.
It is worth mentioning that negotiations for the purchase have been ongoing for several months. In 2022, the Philippines had hinted that acquiring more units of the South Korean light fighter was among the options to expand its combat fleet. However, since then, there have been no major public statements in favor of this operation. Beyond this, around that time, the Philippine Air Force also encountered aircraft availability issues due to logistical support issues, leaving only three units operational.
As the months went by, a report published by the Philippines in May of this year suggested that the acquisition was close to completion, something that was finally confirmed with the signing of the agreement between both parties. In parallel, it should be mentioned that the Philippine Air Force currently has a preliminary version of the Block 20 FA-50PH fighters that it will incorporate. According to this latest report, the country would seek to implement an upgrade program for the current fleet in service and extend its service life.
You may be interested in: The U.S. Marine Corps’ new NMESIS anti-ship missile system has been redeployed to northern Philippines as part of Exercise KAMANDAG 9
