Aquino: PH close to finalizing deal on purchase of Korean fighter jets

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Oct 18): Aquino: PH close to finalizing deal on purchase of Korean fighter jets
SEOUL– Move over. The big boys are coming.

President Aquino said the Philippines was close to finalizing a deal with a state-owned Korean aerospace firm for the purchase of a squadron of FA-50 fighter jets worth P18.9 billion, a move seen to bolster the country’s aerial power to defend its territory in the disputed West Philippine Sea region.

Mr. Aquino said he discussed the procurement of 12 brand new multirole combat aircrafts from the Korean Aerospace Industries Inc. (KAI) when he met with South Korean President Park Geun-hye at the Blue House, South Korea’s seat of power, shortly after he arrived on Thursday for a two-day state visit.

He said it was part of the commitment of both countries to improve their military cooperation as stated in the memorandum of understanding that the Philippines and South Korea entered into on Thursday.

“(These are) Korean lead-in fighters. The purpose of this (procurement)… is to maintain our ability to fly jets, at least for the Air Force to fly jets,” the President told a news briefing Thursday night with members of Philippine media covering his visit here.

“We’re handling this (as a) G-to-G (government to government) procurement. The Air Force looked at several models (of fighter jets) and after all of the negotiations, this is their preference,” he said.

The President noted that the last jet fighter the Air Force had, the US-made light fighter aircraft F-5, last flew in 2005.

“While we have (fixed-gear) aircrafts, those are just propeller-types. So you slowly lose your expertise to fly jets,” he said.

Included in the agreement that both countries signed were cooperation in the defense industry, exchanges in military technology, military technology cooperation, exchange of defense-related experience and information, and mutual exchange of visits by military personnel and experts.

They also agreed to share experiences in military education and training, research and development, logistics and maintenance, humanitarian assistance and international peacekeeping activities, military sports and cultural activities, and military medicine and health services.

Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, who accompanied the President and signed the agreement, said the Philippines and South Korea would sign the contract for the purchase of the lead-in fighter jets within the year.

He noted that the Korean-made military aircraft was more affordable than fighter jets made in other countries and that the maintenance of the military planes would be easier as the spare parts for them are readily available.

 Asked how the FA-50 would fare with Chinese fighter jets which fly by the West Philippine Sea, Gazmin said: “Pwede na nating labanan siguro yun (We can probably engage them).”

Besides the military planes, the defense secretary said the hefty price tag will also include the training of Filipino pilots who would fly them.

He expressed confidence that the purchase of FA-50s would help the Air Force resuscitate its fighter jet program which took a nosedive when the military decided to focus on buying helicopters and smaller jets for its counter-insurgency campaign and domestic security program.

The President said there was no definite delivery date for the military aircrafts yet, but said both Korea and the Philippines pledged to expedite the process for the procurement.

“We’re just finishing some things both in their laws and our laws regarding the procurement. The details were really plenty. But the bottom line is that both sides agreed to try and expedite the arms purchase and the delivery of these planes,” he said.

Meanwhile, the President said he relayed to Park the concern of the Philippines regarding the security of some 50,000 Filipinos living and working in South Korea every time the military hostilities rise between the North and South Korea.

He said he also thanked his South Korean counterpart for her country’s support for a peaceful settlement of the conflicting claims over several oil-rich islands in the West Philippine Sea “consistent with international law.”

“They can choose to stay quiet, but expressed their interest being a very large trading country. I thanked them for the promotion of stability and the easing of tensions in this disputed waters,” Mr. Aquino said.

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/88187/aquino-ph-close-to-finalizing-deal-on-purchase-of-korean-fighter-jets