'Sidewinder' missile also armed PAF fighter aircraft

From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 18): 'Sidewinder' missile also armed PAF fighter aircraft

The Philippine Air Force (PAF) at one time was equipped with jet aircraft armed with one of the sophisticated and capable air-to-air missiles in the world.

This weapon, which was developed by the US Navy during the 1950s, was called the AIM-9 "Sidewinder".

AIM stands for "air-intercept missile".

PAF spokesman Col. Miguel Ernesto Okol said the AIM-9B was fitted to its North American F-86D "Sabrejet", Northrop F-5A "Tiger", and Chance-Vought F-8H "Crusader" jet fighters.

He said the AIM-9B acted as the primary weapon of these jet fighters with 20mm automatic cannon as the secondary one.

Okol said the AIM-9B gave then PAF jet fighters a creditable interception capability.

Sidewinder variants utilize infrared homing for guidance and tracking.

Okol said the PAF acquired and operated 70 units of the F-86s during the 1950s. These planes served as the Philippines' fighter aircraft until 1967 where they were replaced with the supersonic F-5As of which 37 units were acquired.

By the 1980s, 36 units of the F-8Hs were delivered to the PAF. However, these Mach 2 capable jet planes only served for 11 years due to high fuel costs.

It was finally decommissioned and placed in open storage by 1991, leaving the Northrop built "Tiger" as the country's sole fighter jet until its decommissioning in 2005.

Okol said that with the deactivation of the F-5s, the PAF decided to operate the Italian-built S-211 as a fighter.

However, the latter plane is not fitted with pylons capable of carrying and firing the "Sidewinder" missiles being maintained by the PAF.

The PAF is known to operate three to six S-211 airframes out of the total 24 units acquired during 1992 to 1994.

The AIM-9 is one of the oldest, least expensive, and most successful air-to-air missiles, with an estimated 270 aircraft kills in its history of use.

Of these, 100 kills can be attributed to the Israeli Air Force during the Sixth Day War, Yom Kippur War, War of Attrition and 1982 Lebanon War with the other 170 credited to the US Air Force and Navy during the Vietnam War and 1991 Gulf War.

The missile has a top speed of Mach 3 or three times the speed of sound.

Its warhead weigh around 20 pounds and the missile has a length of 9 feet and 11 inches.

Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Voltaire Gazmin earlier announced that the decision to acquire South Korea's F/A-50 jet aircraft is still on.

Around 12 units are being eyed to replace the S-211 which at the moment consists of the PAF's fighter capability.

He made this statement after noting that the DND has submitted its report to the Office of the President which recommended approval of the Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) request that the Philippines pay 52 percent of the P18.9 billion price of the 12 F/A-50 aircraft, which the country is planning to acquire as it interim fighter planes.

Gazmin said that should the Office of the President go ahead with their recommendation, along with the so-called progress billing, the planes will be delivered by June 2015.

The DND chief added that both parties have reached a compromise on the delivery of spare parts to 60 days.

The F/A-50 jet aircraft can also be armed with the "Sidewinder" missile.

DND undersecretary for finance, modernization, installations and munitions Fernando Manalo admitted that some major issues need resolving before the country can push through with its acquisition of the F/A-50 jet aircraft.

He added that the issues are now in the process of negotiations.

These include the turnaround time for spare parts which the Philippines wants 30 to 45 days but which the Korea Aerospace Industries is insisting on 180 days, issue on advance payment with the DND is insisting only on 15 percent but KAI wants 52 percent.

The DND official stressed that the Philippine decision for a less turnaround time for the spare parts is aimed at keeping the jet aircraft flyable at all times.

Manalo said the insistence of South Korea of a 52 percent down payment is a major difficulty as the AFP Modernization Act only allows 15 percents payment with the balance being given on the subsequent deliveries.

He added that they will elevate this issue to the Office of the President to determine whether they can give more than the mandated 15 percent to KAI

"We can recommend to the President to grant their request as the money will be used to invest (in the production line) for the aircraft," he said.

The DND earlier has allocated over P18.9-billion to acquire 12 brand-new F/A-50 jet aircraft from KAI.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=617233