THE military expects to receive the first two of the 12 F-50 lead-in trainer jets that it was acquiring from South Korea before the end of next year.
“This [deal] is already approved in principle, and at this point, we’re now going into the detailed training of our team with the Korean team,” said Air Force commander Lt. Gen. Lauro Catalino dela Cruz.
“Our target date is…it should have at least two initially by the end of the fourth quarter of 2014, and then the rest would be the following six months thereafter,” he added.
The F-50s would serve as trainer and fighter aircraft for the Air Force, which is a major beneficiary under the P75-billion Armed Forces modernization program.
The Air Force does not have any jet-powered aircraft in its inventory. Its last jet fighters, F-5s, were mothballed in 2005.
Aside from the fighter jets, the Armed Forces is planning to acquire multi-purpose vessels, frigates, long- range aircraft, radars, anti-submarine helicopters and other modern military assets.
Dela Cruz said that after the first delivery from South Korea, the remaining jets should be delivered every two months.
“Hopefully, we have it all delivered before the middle of 2016, if everything goes right,” he said.
On the other hand, the Navy flag officer in command, Vice Adm. Jose Luis Alano, said that the service is expecting to have its two strategic sealift vessels (SSVs) within three years.
“They will be arriving in two to three years because the construction of vessels would be at least two years,” he said. An SSV is a multipurpose vessel, but it is primarily used in troop transport.
Alano said an SSV can accommodate at least a battalion of troops.
Meanwhile, Gen. Emmanuel Bautista, Armed Forces chief of staff, said the military will upgrade Subic in order to accommodate the rotating American troops and their equipment and the personnel of the country’s Navy and the Air Force.
The upgrading of the former US naval base includes the acquisition of nearby lands in order to hold the rotating troops and the Filipino soldiers.
“We’re going to acquire land in Subic to accommodate our Navy and Air Force [personnel] who are going to be displaced in Clark Field and in Cavite,” Bautista said.
DND to hold third bidding for used choppers
ALTHOUGH the law allows negotiated purchase after two failed bidding attempts, the government will call a third bid for the procurement of 21 refurbished units of its air workhorse, the UH-1H “Huey” helicopter, “to be transparent.”
“[That’s true] that per law, after two failed biddings we can go to negotiations. But as the development comes in, there were some proponents who signified their interest. So we bid in order for us to be transparent,” dela Cruz said.
The bidding for the P1.2 billion worth of choppers will be handled by the bids and awards committee (BAC) of the Department of National Defense (DND).
The preliminary bidding was conducted by the DND-BAC on August 16 and the opening of the bid documents is scheduled on September 3.
The pre-bidding was participated in by RADOM Aviation Systems Ltd., ST Aerospace-Singapore Technologies Aerotech, Vector Aerospace and Stone of David Tactical Equipment Co., with the company Hanwha sitting as observer.
Bautista said the budget for the 21 helicopters is separate from the funds earmarked by President Aquino to upgrade the capability of the military for territorial defense.
“That [project] is not part of the P75-billion [territorial defense] funding,” Bautista clarified, correcting earlier reports.
The acquisition of the choppers would boost the Air Force’s lift capability, especially during disasters.
The DND has refused to disclose the reasons for the two failed biddings.
If the third bidding were successful, dela Cruz said it would only take a few months for the helicopters to be delivered.
“If things will go well, then we will be able to have [the helicopters] by next year,” he said.
http://businessmirror.com.ph/index.php/en/news/nation/18617-air-force-to-rejoin-jet-age-by-end-of-2014
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.