TSAMTO, January 16. The Ministry of Defense of the Philippines plans to purchase a second squadron of 12 FA-50PH training/light combat aircraft from the South Korean company Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) in the latest version of the Unit.20.
This is reported by local military blogger Max Montero, citing sources in the country's Defense Ministry. The project cost is estimated at $680 million. The contract is expected to be concluded in the first half of 2025.
As previously reported by CAMTO, in March 2014, the Ministry of National Defense of the Philippines signed a contract with KAI for the supply of 12 FA-50 light combat training aircraft under an intergovernmental agreement. The cost of the agreement was 18.9 billion pesos (420 million dollars). The first two of the 12 ordered FA-50PH aircraft arrived in the country on November 28, 2015. The last pair of FA-50s landed at Clark Air Base (Pampanga Ave.) on May 31, 2017. The completion of deliveries was officially announced in July 2017. The aircraft are in service with the 7th Tactical Fighter Squadron located in Basa.
One of the objectives of the acquired aircraft is the improved flight training of Air Force pilots. In addition, the aircraft are used to patrol the country's airspace and launch airstrikes. According to the Philippine Air Force Command, the FA-50 should become the main means of combating enemy light fighters during the transition period until the acquisition of multi-purpose fighters.
Plans to purchase a second batch of 12 FA-50PH multiple units were announced immediately after the completion of the delivery of the first tranche of aircraft. However, it was noted that the final decision would depend on the adopted concept of modernization of the Air Force.
The FA-50 was created on the basis of the T-50 Golden Eagle supersonic jet training aircraft project, developed by KAI in collaboration with the American Lockheed Martin. The FA-50 is 13.13 m long, the wingspan is 9.45 m, the height is 4.85 m, and the capacity of seven internal fuel tanks (5 in the fuselage and 2 in the wings) is 2,655 liters. The aircraft can transport an additional 1,710 liters of fuel in three outboard fuel tanks.
The two-seat aircraft is equipped with a single F404–102 engine with a maximum thrust of 78.7 kN, manufactured by Samsung Techwin under license from General Electric, is capable of carrying 4,500 kg of payload and reaching a maximum speed of 1.5 M, a practical ceiling of 14,600 m, and an airframe life of 8000 hours.
The cockpit hood provides two pilots with a good view and protection from debris. The South Korean company notes that the aircraft has high fuel efficiency, is equipped with receivers for the radar exposure alarm system, the EL/M-2032 fire control radar, and a more modern flight control system.
The FA-50 is armed with a three-barrel 20mm M197 cannon manufactured by General Dynamics (modified M61A2) and can be carried on seven suspension units (one ventral, two underwing and one on the wingtips) air-to-ground and air-to-air missiles, missile launchers, aerial bombs.
Thus, the aircraft can be equipped with AIM-9L/M/N/P/S Sidewinder air-to-air missiles and AGM-65A/D/G Mavrik air-to-ground missiles, Mk.82, Mk.83, Mk.84 and BLU-109; JDAM UAB; GBU-31, GBU-32 and GBU-38; CBU-52/58/71, CBU-103/104/105 and Mk cluster munitions.20 Rockeye II; LAU-68/131 and LAU-3A/5003 cannon blocks; CBU-97 uncontrolled cluster bomb with non-contact fuse from Textron Defense Systems.
The FA version is the 50 Block.The 20 currently ordered by the Polish and Malaysian Air Forces features improved flight range characteristics, an armament package, as well as avionics and radar. This version, in particular, is supposed to be equipped with a Raytheon-developed PhantomStrike radar, an AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missile and a Taurus KEPD 350K-2 cruise missile, a Thales Scorpion helmet-mounted display and a Lockheed Martin Sniper container targeting system.
