PHL, Japan to formally sign TC-90 lease agreement Wednesday

From the Philippine News Agency (Oct 25): PHL, Japan to formally sign TC-90 lease agreement Wednesday

The Philippines and Japan will formally sign the lease agreement for the five TC-90 training aircraft, which will be used to patrol the country's vast territories on Wednesday.

This was confirmed by Department of National Defense (DND) Undersecretary for Finance, Ammunitions, Installations and Materials Raymundo De Vera Elefante who is now in Japan for the signing.

He added the country will pay USD7,000 each for the first four aircraft yearly and only USD200 for the fifth, or total of USD28,200 for all TC-90s.

Elefante said the lease agreement is renewable every year.

"It's almost for free and we will free training (to fly and handle the aircraft) and it will help us (in) guarding our shores, from the air," he said in Filipino.

The TC-90s will come from the stocks of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and it also useful for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief and maritime security.

The DND official said that they are looking at the possibility of using for 20 years as it will prove very handy for the Philippines while its military is upgrading its equipment.

The TC-90, which is part of the Beechcraft King Air aircraft family, was offered by Japan shortly after the Agreement Concerning the Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology was finalized last Feb. 29.

The TC-90's patrol range is double those of small Philippine aircraft which only has a maximum range of 300 kilometers.

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