Philippines to Double FA-50 Supersonic Fighter Jet Fleet
The Philippines is considering the purchase of 12 more FA-50 Fighting Eagle supersonic combat aircraft from South Korea.
The potential 40-billion Philippine peso ($683.7-million) deal would double Manila’s FA-50 fleet since the aircraft’s employment in the early 2010s.
A report from Makati-based news outlet Inquirer said that the Southeast Asian nation’s plan was revealed by the Philippine Department of Defense through a Procurement Monitoring Report published in early January.
Manila and Seoul are now discussing the terms for the foreign military sale. Finalization of the contract is expected by mid-2025, according to Defence Security Asia.
The Philippine Air Force’s existing FA-50s were acquired for 18.9 billion pesos ($323.1 million) and have been effective solutions during a 2017 conflict between Manila’s armed forces and militants associated with the Islamic State in Marawi City, Mindanao.
Increasing Capabilities
Alongside the additional FA-50s, the report from Inquirer noted that Manila is investing 1 billion pesos ($17.1 million) to procure Bell 412 EPX helicopters for Philippine Army emergency operations.
Another 6.5-billion peso ($111.1-million) contract was also signed to double the Philippine Air Force’s six A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft. In December 2024, Brazil-based A-29 developer Embraer confirmed an order for six aircraft from an undisclosed country.
The report said that the Philippine defense agency is also working on modernization projects covering the military’s cyber infrastructure and ground-based air defense system.
The upgrades will also encompass the Philippine Navy’s incoming Miguel Malvar-class corvettes purchased in 2021 from South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries. Delivery of the 28-billion peso ($478.8 million) warships is expected in the first quarter of 2025.
The FA-50 Fighting Eagle
Developed by Korea Aerospace Industries, the FA-50 has an airframe measuring 13 meters (43 feet) long and a wingspan of 9 meters (31 feet).
It is armed with a 20-millimeter gun, guided bombs, and air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles.
The jet is powered by a General Electric turbofan engine for speeds up to Mach 1.5 (1,852 kilometers/1,151 miles per hour).