While the military is expediting the acquisition of defense equipment that will protect the country's vast maritime and aerial domains, a ranking security official has revealed that the Air Force is using the radars of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) in monitoring the nation's airspace.
The official stated that CAAP radars are presently back-stopping the only operational Air Force radar station in Poro Point, La Union.
He added that the Philippine Air Force (PAF) was forced into this measures as the La Union facility is not enough to ensure constant aerial surveillance of the entire country.
The security official stated that this tactic will continue until the three radar platforms the
Air Force chief Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Delgado earlier said the PAF will be more capable once its new aircraft and equipment arrive by 2018.
"Right now, we are still in the stage of enhancing it. We expect the air assets to arrive a few months from now until 2018 and this will surely strengthen our capabilities, " he added.
Delgado was referring to the 12 F/A-50 "Fighting Eagle" contract which was signed last March 28 and expected to be in service by third quarter of 2015, and the eight armed versions of the AgustaWestland AW-109s, whose contract was signed last November, and is expected to be delivered by the third quarter of this year.
"This will address some of our territorial defense concerns especially air interdiction," the PAF chief stressed.
Other equipment in the pipeline for the PAF are two long-range patrol aircraft, three medium lift cargo planes, three air defense radars and six close-air support aircraft.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=656459
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