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| The KAI FA-50 was selected as the PAF's new SAA/LIFT aircraft. |
Aside from the SAA/LIFT acquisition, also for signing tomorrow will be for the purchase of 8 Bell 412 helicopters for the combat utility helicopter (CUH) and VIP transport requirements from the Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC). Both projects were procured via government-to-government (G2G) deals.
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| The initial 8 new Bell 412 helicopters are also coming in for the PAF, reportedly as combat utility helicopters to take the place of the W-3A Sokol and eventually replace the UH-1H Huey. |
Representing the Philippine government is AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Emmanuel Bautista. Aside from the representatives of CCC and KAI, the Ambassadors of South Korea and Canada will witness the historic contract signing together with the Korean Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) president and other government and defense officials.
The FA-50 was chosen as the PAF's "stepping stone" and interim fighter while awaiting for the government to acquire multi-role fighters for them. Candidate FA-50 pilots and ground crew will be trained in South Korea as part of the deal, which in turn will become FA-50 instructors themselves for future cadre pilots. While churning in pilots ready for further training to handle MRFs, the FA-50 will also be used as an interim fighter for air policing and patrol duties over the Philippine Air Defense Identification Zone (PADIZ) and EEZ.
 |
| The FA-50 will bring-in a new generation of fighter-ready pilots for the PAF. Photo taken from Korean Aero website. |
Meanwhile, the Bell 412 was originally the PAF's choice for the CUH requirement until the W-3A was chosen by the DND after winning the tender for the CUH acquisition project after a number of attempts. With the W-3A Sokol decided to better serve the PAF as a Search and Rescue (SAR) asset, the PAF went for another attempt to acquire new CUH, this time through government-to-government dealings with CCC for the Bell 412.
 |
| PAF's Bell 412 CUH might have close resemblance to Canada's CH-146 Griffon, which saw service with Canadian armed forces assisting in relief efforts after Typhoon Yolanda. |
Aside from these air assets, the Philippine Navy is set to receive 3 oil tankers as a donation from the Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC). A memorandum of agreement (MOA) was signed yesterday, March 26, 2014 to formalize the donation. These ships were previously assets of the now defunct PNOC Shipping and Transport Corporation (PSTC), a wholly owned subsidiary of PNOC. Although no news yet on which ships will be acquired, PSTC oil tanker assets are mostly below 3,000 gross metric tons in displacement. Although small, these ships are assets that would boost the PN's capabilities in terms of resupply and underway replenishment.
 |
| The PNOC Emilio Jacinto (top) and PNOC Lapu-Lapu (below) are just among the oil tanker assets of the PSTC. No confirmation yet on which oil tankers are to be turned-over to the PN. Photos taken from Feehily04's Flicker page (top) and MarineTraffic website (below) |
More details will be discussed in succeeding MaxDefense blog entries in the coming days. In the meantime, let us celebrate the upcoming contract signing marking the official purchase of the 2 aircraft platforms for the PAF.
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Updates
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March 28, 2013:
Finally, contract signed for 12 KAI FA-50 lead-in fighter trainers, and 8 Bell Textron 412 combat utility and VIP helicopters.
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| Photo from KAI's Facebook page. |
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| KAI has officially counted the PAF's FA-50 orders. Illustration above shows expected T-50 series possible sales projected by KAI. Photo taken from KAI's Facebook page. |
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| Photo taken from AFP. |
==========
June 27, 2015:
Headway for both the Oil Tanker for the Philippine Navy, and the FA-50 and Bell 412EP acquisitions for the Philippine Air Force.
The Philippine Navy commissioned the first of the 3 tankers it received from the Philippine National Oil Company' Shipping and Transport Corp., last May 23, 2015. The ship, formerly the MT PNOC Lapu-Lapu, is now known as the BRP Lake Caliraya (AF-81) of the Philippine Navy. The two other ships acquired by the PN are still scheduled to complete their refurbishing and repair works, before they can be commissioned and join the PN. It is expected that at least one of the ships will be commissioned within 2015.
 |
| The BRP Lake Caliraya during its day of commissioning with the PN last May 23, 2015. Photo taken from the Philippine Navy website. |
For the Philippine Air Force, KAI announced through its official Facebook page that they have successfully completed the first flight of the first FA-50PH bound for the PAF. A total of 12 were ordered, and the PAF expects the first 2 mission-ready FA-50PH to be delivered by either December 2015 or January 2016.
Also, the first 2 Bell 412EP for the PAF were delivered on the last week of May 2015, and another batch of 2 units were delivered on the last week of June 2015. All 4 were assembled locally in Manila. The first 2 sports the colors of the Presidential Airlift Wing, while the second 2 were in olive drab similar to the UH-1 helicopters of the 205th Tactical Helicopter Wing.
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| One of the first 2 Bell 412EP delivered last May 2015, sporting the colors of the Presidential Airlift Wing in anticipation of VIP transport requirements for the APEC Summit 2015 in November. Photo from Shuuichi Hikoushi of the Philippine Planespotters Group. |
According to MaxDefense sources and contributors, the PAW units are being tested in Clark Air Base, while the 205th THW birds have just completed assembly and are scheduled to ground and flight testing very soon. All 12 units are expected to be delivered by next year, although the pace of Bell in its delivery suggests that they could complete delivery of all 8 units before the year ends.
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| One of the second batch Bell 412EP delivered on June 2015, taken at the NAIA grounds on June 27 by a MaxDefense reader who wants to remain anonymous. Based on its color scheme, it appears to be one of the combat utilty helicopter variants bound to fly with the PAF's 205th Tactical Helicopter Wing. |
Wow,,,, congrats , PAF... more assets to come...I hope these birds will be used to save lives than take lives... God bless!!
ReplyDeleteF-20 Tigershark suitable for the PAF
Deletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BDgQwlfHII&list=PLM3VSrY9sye-PmSYDeMVtBr5xGiMTABqq&index=1
The Tigershark is dead. Why resurrect an already outdated (by now) aircraft when other proven platforms like the F-16 are already available.
DeleteWell as of now I think the PH should pursue in buying the Saab Jas-39 gripen for the next acquisition of teal aircraft.The Gripen is lighter and cheaper to operate, while the F-16 can carry a heavier load and more different weapons. The avionics seem to be comparable, as well as their A2A abilities.
DeleteSo I think that, in a world with strictly equal market conditions (never to occur ), the Gripen is the best choice if you just need a A2A fighter with good A2G capabilities to defend your airspace plus the budget that we have.Yeps tigershark is obsolete...
Congratulations AFP and DND! This is indeed a great moment for our men in uniform. I'm really excited to watch the signing of contracts tomorrow and looking forward to signing of agreements for two frigates, ASW choppers and Long Range Patrol Aircraft. Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!
ReplyDeleteWe have been waiting since last year... Next Air-defense Radars, Frigate acquisition and Shore Based Missile systems... Hope to be be awarded soon... Sana ang next President eh hindi madilim ang hinaharap ng Pilipinas...
ReplyDeleteidagdag mo sir na huwag sana isip talangka susunod na President..
DeleteMadilim? mukhang meron tatamaan dyan sa sinasabi mo hahaha
DeleteHahaha parang si sabi mong si nognog yan...^^
Delete@ Max, thank you for publishing reliable info regarding AFP modernization. Keep it up!
ReplyDeleteSir max. tanong ko lang kaya bang ng Fa-50 na magdala na AIM-120 AMRAAM?
ReplyDeleteHindi pa yata sa ngayon pero maraming naiisip ang South Korea na i-integrate sa weapons system nito. Gamit din naman ng Air Force nila ang FA-50 kaya hindi malayong mangyari ito pati na ang iba pang missiles. OK nga kung may BVR capability na ang FA-50, malayo pa ang kalaban pwede ng tirahin.
DeleteSa expanded weapon and avionics nang FA-50 pweding gamitin ay AIM-9X sidewinder, AMRAAM AIM-120, Derby medium range missile, CBU 105 munition dispenser (cluster bomb) , SPICE 2000 Mk 84 smart bomb , SPICE 1000 Mk 83 smart bomb LITENING targeting pod, Skyshield (jammer), GEMINI 'Smart' Multiple Store Carrier.
DeleteIts been a long wait now its finally here. Mabuhay ang Pilipinas! Mabuhay ang DND at ang AFP! Freddie
ReplyDeletesalute to our men in uniform, they really deserve it.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, it would be a great celebration that all started with an ink which symbolizes history, just like the signing of CAB on this day. It would be much greater if the PAF has included the NoA for the C295 which I thought would go at the end of the month as well. But anyway, hurrah for the AFP and the country!
ReplyDeleteSir Max, what's the difference between the 412 and the UH-1H aside from the number of rotor blades? PS I still think the Sokols should've been the CUH because it looks the part, especially when you google the armed version (no offense to our 412s). If only that damn door was big/wide enough...
ReplyDeleteThe 412s are definitely more modern than the 205/UH-1H. The outside may look strikingly the same but it's in the inside that really counts. To be honest, if the PAF was really interested with the 412 than the Sokol in the 1st place, they should have just bought the more expensive 412 rather than have a handful of Sokols that just impedes the maintenance and support service by having different models for a small air force.
DeleteThe procurement for the 412s was rather quick since it's a G2G deal. We need not go to the bidding process since our needs are immediate. The Pnoy admin can still be transparency even with this setup. What's important, in my opinion, is that we are very sure of our defense needs before we enter into any deals. Now is the contract signing for the FA-50 and already there's much talk about MRFs. I think the PAF should continue to study this hard to avoid what happened with the Sokol acquisition.
DeleteThere were AFP acquisitions which, I think, are well thought of such as the M4 rifle and the FA-50.
DeleteIn fairness, the Bell 412 platform has emereged from the time proven UH-1H helicopter known for its robustness with regards to its airframe. Even Saudi Arabia that is a wealthy oil producing nation that can afford to buy Black hawks is using the Bell 412 Helicopter to oversea its coastal areas that is near its neighbors and likewise Canada a derivative of Bell 412 also they are using in their operastions...it only shows that for relatively hot-humid and cold climatic conditions, the Bell 412 is proven to be effective and robust.
Delete12 FA-50s is a good start. And I would be impressed even more if we start negotiating for the Gripen. Maybe a lease arrangement for 2-4 units by 2016-17 would be a good start.
ReplyDeleteThe JAS Gripen would be the next logical step towards having a quality defensive air force. It would probably make more sense to just skip the lease and acquire a squadron of Gripen NG, which will start deliveries in 2018, along with one or two Saab Erieye or c-295 Awacs. I'm sure that Sweden/Saab would be happy to provide 2 Gripen C's to the Philippines for training purposes as part of a Gripen NG package until the NG's arrive. In 2018/2019 the PAF should then have plenty of well-trained pilots and a truly credible air defense. And at an affordable price, to boot.
DeleteLaurence
In 2004, the Czechs signed a lease agreement for 14 Saab JAS 39C/D Gripen multirole fighter aircraft for 10 years.
ReplyDeleteIt cost them 1 billion US dollars, which totals out to $71.5 million per plane over the 10 year lease.
They renewed their lease recently and are now paying $85 million annually for the entire fleet or $6.1 million per plane each year.
The congress should allocate more budget for the Defence Department to continue what have started..More equipments please
ReplyDeletewe salute the AFP-DND modernization.....great work!!!
ReplyDeleteAnother milestone for AFP Modernization, let us hope that the next President will do the same...Godbless DND & AFP! Congrats! Thanks a lot sir Max for the updates.
ReplyDeleteGlad to know that the Philippine goverment and the Koreans represented by KOTRA would be signing the Contract for FA-50. This is a long awaited moment for most of the Filipinos who are supporters of the AFP modernization. Good job AFP-DND!
ReplyDeletea good start for the the air force..sana ay tuloy tuloy pa and modernization ng AFP...sir max, any comment if we request from the U.S. to give us some of their retired F-14's, pwede pa bang magamit ng PAF ang mga iyon? salamat po.
ReplyDeleteThe F-14's are already retired and the US dont supply their parts anymore. The reason Uncle sam doesnt give them away is because they dont want the spares from falling to the wrong hands especially Iran which has the f-14 way way back before
DeleteCongrats to DND, AFP, PAF and KAI for the done deal..
ReplyDeletebtw, Sir Max, totoo ba na DND "threaten" KAI while still in negotiation?
i think the new graduate AFP pilots and navy officers is very happy today, that they are the one who fly Bell and FA-50, while the navy will go for 2 brandnew frigate and pohang corvette :)
ReplyDeleteThis is GREAT! my SNAPPY SALTUTE to the MEN & WOMEN in Uniform!
ReplyDeleteHI Max can the tankers be converted to LST's just as what the US are doing?
ReplyDeleteFinally our PAF will be back from the Supersonic Age!
ReplyDeleteMax ano ba radar sa t50ph, pulse doppler ba o AESA....
ReplyDeleteFinally, the much awaited FA 50 . What's next on the agenda the " Incheon frigate " ? Are we starting the official countdown now ? First congratulation to the DND and AFP for the coming back of the PAF to the 21st jet fighter program.
ReplyDeleteAng analogy ko dnd is satisfying all country with ofw worker na arm and defense maker
ReplyDeleteEto israel- athos artillery apc tank upgrade
(Maybe hamilton class uprader)
Maybe air search and tack radar
Korea-jet.trucks maybe frigate
Japan-coastguard patrol boat
Spain- c-295maybe frigate
Italy- army navy chopper
US- donate tank m4 carbine rpg7 coastal
Radar.maybe air search and track radar
Indonesia-as ally light plane transport ship
And
DeleteCanada-army CUH
Sana before PNOY stepdown in 2016 we can have the multirole fighter program in the pipeline.....We are not sure if the new incoming president by mid 2016 has the same passion in upgrading and modernizing the AFP.
ReplyDeleteas early as now the government should start looking where to get funding for the acquisition of multirole figther jet. Because it takes years for the deliver to take place after we make order.
ReplyDeleteThey're doing that for some time now.
DeleteMax can the paf top brass decide to upgrade refurbished like ourr neighbors did with their F5 and recommisioned it to active status to temporarily guard our interest in the phil west sea
DeleteMax it will take some time before our pilots will get accostumed to the new. FA50. IN the meantime our chinese friends would have occupied 50% of the island in wps if the govt will not do any preventive measures to halt the chinese from doing what they want
Deletevery good job Pnoy. I wished the constitution will allow him to be re-elected and continue his good and fair accomplishments for the country. He is not perfect but is better than the rest.
ReplyDeleteI CONCUR!!! Pnoy's accomplishment is second to none. How I wish too that he gets re-elected. God forbid if it was Binay.
Deletegreat! how many fa-50's have we acquired so far since 2011? i've lost count already but it seems that there's a news item about fa-50 acquisitions every 10 months or so.....ok, so we probably have 48 birds now, including these additional 12 units. i'm told that the fa-50's have very low radar signature.and the radar is superb- able to track multiple targets at the same time. i forgot how many but im guessing it's two targets at once? using these hi-tech killing machines, we can probably sneak up on the chinese cordon and bomb hainan islands out of the map.
ReplyDeleteThe only order the PAF ever had for FA-50s is this current deal for 12 units. The delivery will be in small batches in every several months until KAI can complete delivery in 38 months from now. 48 birds is a long shot from 12. The FA-50 is not a primary combatant but a training platform and interim fighter while the PAF plans and shops for MRFs.
DeleteMax is it worthy in this days for acquiring the anti-sub helicopter(aw-159)?..What if we upgrade the remaining aw-109 into anti-sub helicopter??ive seen 109 transform into an ambulance aircraft...How about our old s-76?..
DeleteBang Baco, the AW109 is too small to be an effective ASW helicopter. The ASW gear needs a helicopter platform wih sufficient space, carrying capacity, and endurance. That's why the PN are not using the AW109 for this requirement.
DeleteIf this is how the DND/AFP goes about its decision making, woe to us Filipinos. More Kfir Block60 in a year from a secure supply chain, versus less untested TA-50 in 2 years from a threatened supply chain.
ReplyDeleteIn the Navy, expensive new light frigates in 3 years, versus Maestrale full frigates in a year. Then buy unnecessary expensive logistics vessels instead of corvettes and FAC's.
Kawawa tayong mga Filipino sa mga hindi nararapat na mga desisyon. Inubos na EEZ natin ng China, wala pang credible defense at nakapasok pa mga US bases.
There were problems encountered during the purchase of the Maestrale, which was explained a lot of times before. But for you, I'll reiterate again: the Italians are offering a crappy 33-year old frigate for almost the price of a new one. If they would only be reasonable to significantly lower down the price of each Maestrale, then probably the DND bit it immediately. Wondering why nobody is still taking the offer from the Italians until now?
DeleteWho says the SSV are expensive and unnecessary? They are very necessary especially that the PN is out of transport ships, from 30+ LST and LSM in the late 70s to just 2 LST and 2 LSV today. And they were bought at a very cheap price, considering that ships of that size could cost 3x more than the the PN paid for them!
As for the fighters, you can't go Kfir if your pilots don't even have the experience to fly them. The FA-50s were bought for a reason. Fighters will follow sooner than expected, as per my sources in DND. But the boys from the ADC (pilots, ground crew and commanders) must get the training it needs first before they get to have MRFs.
Before I also used to think that SSV is not that important but the recent Zamboanga siege & Typhoon Haiyan disaster proves the need for SSV for mass transport of troops & equipment. as for the KFIR its a Gen 3 fighter I heard that its radar signature is quite big Israel has been pushing for the sale of this jets to many other countries but there are only a few takers despite of low price. depending on the budget PAF is better of with the Gripen NG or F-16's viper
DeleteIf "fighters will follow sooner than expected", I have a feeling they will be used F-16s from the US Air Force.
DeleteI'm sure that when the US-PH Enhanced Defense Cooperation is sign then we can expect something when Pres. Obama visits next month who's know maybe they will provide some used F-16s but rumor has it that US will be providing a 3rd WHEC and some C-130s.
DeleteUsed and refurbished F-16s from the US are the fastest way to have MRFs, and is actually the most possible as well. But aside from that, the PAF must look further as these old F-16s might not be enough. Although there are rumors that Obama may have F-16s as offers, I don't want to expect to avoid being disappointed.
Delete@ Anonymous "woe to us Filipinos" or woe to you . For not seeing the bigger picture of what all of these acquisition has done to the morals of the fighting men and women of the AFP. It has been a long arduous road for them when times in the mid of battle their equipments would fail ,supply runs and salaries are delayed and all they have are each other . This crisis that the Philippines is undergoing is a test not only for the service men but to all Filipinos in general . This is not going to be a short stroll in the park but rather a long dueling journey for the Philippines in the observing eyes of the international community . If you have been following the events that has been unravelling thru MaxDefense and the current situation in the West Philippine Sea . We are not in a position to go out there with gun blazing . Yet I do agree that we need those equipments but " at the right time and the right tool for the right job". For the mean time we have the eyes of the world as our witness and our Faith to hold on . Max has a point the skills needs to be updated and sharpened .
DeleteWell said sir MAX
Deletemost of our experience pilot particulary those who graduated in the late 90"s phil air force flying school are now flying with commercial airlines although, there are some who stay in the force but the problem is available jet trainer aircraft are winding down. like the S-211 jets that killed so many PAF flyers than in combat. It is right to have this SAA/LIFT with secondary capability although limited as combat aircraft.
ReplyDeleteI wish that before PNOY end his term in office he could have in the pipeline our MRF program.
congratulation to all of AFP. to President Pnoy and Sec. Gazmin good works. both ofyou deserved to be a public servant. wait,another good works by the philippine navy done against the chinks. please see link beloe
ReplyDeletehttp://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/03/29/14/chinese-vessels-block-ph-ship-bound-ayungin
Let's hope for the best but expect the worst. The next president if not coming from PNOY's Liberal Party, will surely scrutinize PNOY's military acquisitions and halt any projects already in the pipeline. Syiempre, kailangan nya kumita dun sa mga "pending" projects or else he will cancel the acquisition. Balik sa stone age ang AFP natin. Siguradong magiging "MADILIM" ang hinaharap ng Pilipinas sa isang Presidenteng nagparaya sa isang maunlad na ciudad sa metro manila.
ReplyDeleteHi Max,
ReplyDeleteCan you check on this? I think this is my contribution for Phil Air Force modernization, they should check out and try this SM-27 Machete COIN / CAS aircraft, if our Philippine government interested they can persuade the manufacturer to build it here for indigenous program we can save a lot of money and provides more jobs to our engineers and technical people at the same time help our armed forces to produce their own air capability with the help of this company.
http://survincity.com/2009/09/stavatti-aerospace-a-new-player-in-the-fields-of/
Stavatti has long been producing "paper airplanes". It has not yet made any of its plan into an actual flying aircraft. So this is nothing but a dreamer's company. Better stick to combat proven platforms like the Super Tucano.
Delete"The advanced avionics incorporated in to the latest models of the F-16 serve as piecemeal and incremental improvements at best and do not provide enough new capabilities to grant the F-16 a competitive edge against the new supermanuverable Jas-39NG and Mig-35 which will also be equipped with AESAs.........While the improvements to the internal avionics will provide a noticeable enhancement to situational awareness, the base F-16 airframe remains unable to evenly compete with more mature 4.5 generation air frames such as the JAS-39 or Mig-29M2. For example, combat exercises at Red Flag 2012 showed the Gripen was able successfully dogfight F-16s flown by veteran aggressor pilots."
ReplyDelete-Matt from
http://manglermuldoon.blogspot.com/2014/01/miscalculation-need-for-new-us-fighter_7.html
Hi Sir Max, I would like to ask if the Phil navy ship PF-16 was already installed with Mk 38 Mod 2 gun? It was reported by media several weeks ago that the Ramon Alcaraz ship would be fitted with this secondary guns thru the assistance of the United States of America Coast guard certified armaments specialist this month of March. Sorry for the off topic.
ReplyDeleteNot yet.
DeleteSir max it looks like they be installing BVR missile on our fa-50
ReplyDeletehttp://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&nid=1&rid=630524&nga_Session=651180f9d594475448561355ac358b55
itong certain Albano na to di nya ata alam ang mga sinasabi nya. bigyan nyo nga to ng libro tungkol sa spratly island para maka intende ng maayos. gusto lng ata magpasikat na to. onkaya di pa gising sa katutuhanan. pls see link below how this albano react with the recent purchase of fa50. mga tao pa ata na to (albano) sa panahon ni ramos at gloria na walang magawa kundi magpapugi plage at walng cobtribution.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.philstar.com/headlines/2014/03/30/1306686/dnd-plan-buy-2-anti-submarine-helicopters-hit
Any can comment on this?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.philstar.com/headlines/2014/03/30/1306686/dnd-plan-buy-2-anti-submarine-helicopters-hit
This congressman is either stupid, looking for media mileage, or is a Chinese lapdog. I am so sure that he is at least one of the 3. If he's stupid, it can still be cured by letting him know his stupidity and correct him with proper information. If he's the other 2 reasons, then the government should investigate his connections as it is detrimental to national security. If a senator can be arrested in the US, so does a congressman in the Philippines.
DeleteWhat are your prospects sir about the CAS aquisition of the DND? And also the reported HAWK SAM's and BVR upgrades for the FA-50. A report on Janes said that boeing is reportedly offering refurbished Chinooks (to the latest standard) for sale. Any chance the DND may opt for some, though from what I heard Chinooks have very high maintenance costs.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the updates btw. I'm so sorry to hear new criticisms for the AFP modernisation particularly the ASW helo's by a congressman.
Hoping to hear more from the frigate program. God bless the Philippines!
Chinooks are expensive to operate, but having a couple can be helpful as they won't be required to fly very often. Better to have the and not need them rather than need them and don't have them.
DeleteThe Hawk missile system is a good addition, but is becoming obsolete. Even the Americans don't use them anymore. My earlier information regarding Spyder remains, although the DND may start a negotiated bid from several suppliers, which may include both the Spyder and the latest iteration of the Hawk.
Giving BVR upgrade to the FA-50, in my opinion, is a good addition of capability. But the DND should not have announced it this early. They should have just let it happen without the public knowing. Besides, this is a temporary solution while the PAF plans and acquires an MRF that will have this capability as a standard feature.
There are info that should be kept secret, nasobrahan naman sa pagiging transparent.
DeleteThe HAWK missile system is becoming obsolete, we should consider newer systems which can be used and upgraded to keep up with future needs.
You cannot make secret in todays warfare technology that are being planned to acquire.because these superpowers have there means to know thru cyberwarfare information and intelligent information unless we had our own licensed to build in country as a counter trade to defense industry. As the first place when manufacturing defense equipment these defense industries will source out some components in the other countries. Remember what happened to F35 AESA radar magnet it was manufactured by china and recently it was only have known by US Defense department. So for us 3rd country on logistic side it must monitored where these components materiel is coming from not ti jeopardize our platform.
DeleteYeah,...Philippines Air Force now become the strongest Air Force in the region, good job P'Noy.
ReplyDeleteStill far from it, but it can happen with the support of the Filipino people like you and me. Continue supporting our armed forces, keep the flame burning.
DeleteThe present administration is doing it's very best to upgrade our armed forces that the previous administration have forgotten to make any. Lets all give our full support so this upgrade will continue. How about little support from the Filipino Multi Billionaires..Lets say sponsor 2 unit of MRF?
ReplyDeleteDo you think you can count on these so called filipino "billionaires"? most of them, if not all are of chinese descent. The Philippine government should start having a cleaning of its own closet.
DeleteI hope the government also allocated budget for the maintenance and facilities for the all the purchases that we made. Budget for the maintenance is the next important thing after all the military hardware arrives.
ReplyDeleteHehe... no one comment about the oil tankers? Everyone only talks about guns and radars. From medieval pre-prophets to inter-galactic wars, logistics have a big say in determining the outcome of wars.
ReplyDeleteFinally somebody understood that. There is not much info on the tankers so it's actually difficult to give assessment on MaxDefense's part.
DeleteThese tankers are not oilers. Can they be modified with booms and turn some of the oil cargo compartments into goods cargo compartment? I think it is necessary to support the cutter class for longer duration of patrols in the WPS.
DeleteMax, can these tankers be converted to what the americans did to montford point? additional SSV for us
DeleteI hope that one of the candidate for MRF is KAI KF-X 5th gen.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.asp?aircraft_id=1035
Sir Max,, any update on super tucanos??
ReplyDeleteHi Max, again let me thank you for sharing your time and knowledge on AFP Modernization. It is indeed interesting and very informative.....One question though, i got excited with the possibility of Uncle Sam offering used F-16 for our PAF. Are we going to see/hear the offer during his visit this month? How about the 3 C-130 that he was supposed to offer last November, is this something to look up in his visit?
ReplyDeleteFor the tankers that was turn-over to pn that is a good way to replinished our assests in the high seas so that they can patrol much longer. The pn should upgrade the tankers capability including, sensors, radars, chopper platform and defensive equipment.
ReplyDeleteUS will have a F-16 fire sale soon as it will replace then with F-35. Philippines should take advantage of it. The more the better.
ReplyDeletebut f-16 is expensive to operate more than 5000usd per hour is operation cost puera pa mga weapons for training..i think the problem is the budget for operations of afp particularly phil air force...remember all the brand new assets for the afp requires operational and maintenance budget pag hindi maayos ito then, masasayang lang ang mga gamit na ito. eh dito mahina and goverment lalo iyong mga politiko na walang pamamahal sa bayan at puro kurakot and alam....
ReplyDeletewhat are the technical armaments capabilty of this newly acquired CUH?
ReplyDeleteSa isang ordinaryong nagtratrabahong Pilipino tulad ko, kaya kung mangutang sa banko para makabili ng 2nd hand na Sports car.
ReplyDeleteAng problem eh yung maintenance ko nito (Ongoing Cost of maintaining this car) sa ganito klaseng kotse hindi mo basta basta eh papa service sa ordinaryong talyer lang diba? kailan sa kasa. Minsan presyo ng pinagbilhan mo eh mas mahal pa yung service kung kukunin mo yung total cost after a couple of years .. Mas mataas ang kilometers na tinakbo... mas mahal din ang maintenance - Paul
F-16s are actually one of the cheapest 4th gen fighter to operate. Spare parts are abundant and widely used around the world's air force. Gripen claims to be cheaper to operate according to Janes.
ReplyDeleteHowever, the main question here is PAFs operating budget. Im hoping it will also be augmented to maintain the new assets. Just look at history how we cripples our air force because of lock of maintenance.
Previously, a condition was set for the FA-50 not to have the same capabilities as the F-16, but now that the F-16 is no longer being manufactured perhaps KAI can be allowed to explore the continued upgrades of the FA-50 such as more powerful jet engines, radars and weaponry.
DeleteThe F-16 is still in production and is still being marketed by Lockheed Martin vis a vis the F-35. The FA-50 was said as capable in accepting the more powerful GE F414 engine, but it would definitely burn more fuel, making the already short-legged FA-50 shorten its legs more. There were news reports earlier wherein the PAF plans to upgrade at least 4 FA-50s to be BVR capable, meaning it will probably have a more powerful radar and BVR weapons systems.
DeleteIn addition to being trained by the South Koreans, the PAF FA-50 instructor pilots should attend the U.S. Navy TOP GUN air combat fighter pilots school at NAS/Naval Air Station, Fallon,Nevada so that the limited number of Philippine LIFT Fighter Aircraft will have maximum credibility as an AIR SUPERIORITY force. Filipino LIFT fighter pilots need the same reputation for skill as the fighter pilots of the IAF/ISRAEL AIR FORCE.
ReplyDeleteGood day sir,
ReplyDeleteI would just like to ask you questions, maybe you have the answer/s, since you have connections in the AFP. How come the The Philippine Air Force seems to be uninterested in procuring Russian made military hardware, such as the Mil Mil 35 (The only assault helicopter in the whole world), or the KA-52. I mean I find such helicopters very important, and has not western counterpart, and such it adds another dimension to the Air Force capability as far as helicopter warfare is concerned. It seems that these (choppers) are a good fit for SOF (Rangers and SF) operations, both in jungle and urban areas. Next sir, what do you think of the new polish tank Obrum PL 01, would it be worth considering as the Army's next Battle Tank. I mean its lighter than older MBT, but has the same caliber size gun(the barrel is shorter, but I find the tank more of a defensive role) , with its size and weight it seems a perfect fit for the urban terrain, at the same time our roads maybe able to carry its weight.
Sir Max, do you any information for the tankers that the PN recently acquired ? what the status of the tankers? are going to undergo refurbishments.. before entering into service? or they will just paint it to to gray..hoping for you reply... thanks a lot
ReplyDeleteAbout the acquired helicopters, why did the PAF preferred to procure the AW109 instead of a dedicated attack helicopter. A few numbers of such purposed helicopters such as the Tiger ARH or A129 Mangusta can increase the ground attack capabilities of the PAF.
ReplyDeleteFirst and foremost greatly appreciate your updates of our AFP Modernization to the Filipino people. It is good to hear that PNOC is donating some of its Tanker Vessels to our Navy even thou small it is a good start. With some repair and upgrades these would suffice as a resupply vessels for our Naval Bases like Oyster Bay Station in Palawan, but we have to modify these vessels further if our Navy wishes it to become a underway replenishment vessel. Like what the Australian Navy did with HMAS Sirius (O 266). Aside from this our Naval ships has to install necessary equipment for such an operation.
ReplyDeletewith regards to the cuh why did the air force opt to buy bell 412 helicopters instead of the sikorsky uh-60 black hawk which have greater passenger capacity and i believe is at a lower price compared to the bell 412. and perhaps they could buy from the us military excess stocks
ReplyDeleteWhy FA-50? they should buy 50 JSF-F35.
ReplyDeleteIt's surprising that somebody mentioned the F20 Tigershark. If compared to today's standards, it really is obsolete. No question about that. Still, the fact is that the original aircraft design and power plant was solid and stable. Upgrade the avionics to current standards and change the engine (say the same used in the Grippen --- GE F414) that can and/or if can be accommodated on the modest airframe and we can probably have a great MRAC for our PAF. What if somebody brings the idea of restarting the production of this AC to be built here in the Philippines with their contacts in the US? This is not a farfetched idea as it may seem to some people. Mind you that it was a product of Northrup, the same company who built the YF-23 Back Widow II prototypes (may have lost to the F22 but I do believe the lost is more of political in nature as against performance and capabilities). Besides, there is the history of the P51 Mustang (different company of course). Remember what happened with the later engine change from the original Allison inline engine to the more powerful RR Merlin? The P51 became arguably as the best fighter of its era. Perhaps the same can be possible with the F20 (though upgrades on it may just categorize it as 4th Gen at the most). Just a thought.
ReplyDeleteThe other oil tanker for the Philippine Navy ( Dr. Jose Rizal ) is currently in a Cebu shipyard.. Renbios
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