Philippine Air Force discovers new teeth in the face of insurgency

MANILA, Philippines – Six new turboprop fighter jets adorned with World War II-era artwork growling with a shark’s nose will soon provide close air support for military counterinsurgency missions.

The Super Tucano A-29B manufactured by Brazil’s Embraer SA will be the last fixed-wing light attack aircraft of the 15th Strike Wing, the unit of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) responsible for supporting ground attack operations, after plans to acquire them under the previous administration had failed.

Control of the 15th Strike Wing, which used to be overseen by the PAF chief, is now under the Air Combat Command (ACC), which was recently formed to focus on counter-insurgency operations.

The PAF upholds the tradition of the folk art of the nose, which is intended to intimidate adversaries, in a respectful nod to the hallmark of the former 15th Strike Wing fixed-wing aircraft in the fleet: the North American Rockwell OV- 10 Bronco and Aermacchi SF-260TP Armored Sneakers.

“The Super Tucanos will fulfill the precious role of the OV-10 plane, that is, to drop bombs. And it also has machine guns, ”Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana told Inquirer.net.

Vietnam War Vintage

The Philippines is one of the last operators of the legendary Vietnam War old Bronco, which the FAP used to bombard militants linked to the Islamic State during the siege of Marawi in 2017.

“The Super Tucanos are crucial because the OV-10s are for decommissioning. It will complement the FA-50 we use in Marawi City. In other words, we can have support planes in different parts of the country at any time, ”Lorenzana said.

The FA-50 fighter jets of the Fifth Fighter Wing were the PAF’s most expensive and capable fighter jets at taking out militants at Marawi.

On October 6, 2017, a few days before the six-month siege ended, the Philippine government selected Embraer to produce six P4.698 billion advanced training and light attack aircraft.

With a price of 18.900 million pesos for 12 FA-50s, the cost of a plane was double that of the Super Tucano.

The six planes, flown by Brazilian pilots, recently landed on two separate flights at Clark Air Base in Pampanga. The 20-day journey of the first four aircraft began in Sao Paolo, Brazil, in late August and made several refueling stops that included the Canary Islands, Portugal, Malta, Spain, Egypt, Bangladesh, the United Arab Emirates, India, Thailand and Vietnam.

Embraer bills the Super Tucanos for close air support, light attack, surveillance, air-to-air interception, and counterinsurgency roles.

Low cost, efficiency

At least 14 armed forces on three continents, including those of Colombia and Afghanistan, are using them for their low cost and efficiency.

Embraer says that flying the plane typically costs $ 1,000 an hour.

The two-seater aircraft have a maximum speed of 590 kilometers per hour, a ceiling of 10,668 meters and a range of 3,055 kilometers. They can take off and land on unpaved runways and are equipped with a modern cockpit and multi-function displays and are fully capable of operating at night.

They can be equipped with a variety of weapons, including .50 caliber machine guns, precision-guided bombs, air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles. They are also capable of infrared electro-optical and laser firing technology.

Under the contract with Embraer, the PAF will receive ammunition, spare parts, logistics and training.

A retired Air Force officer who was involved in acquiring the jets said the planes have been combat tested and were suitable for the army’s close air support requirement in fighting insurgents.

The planes are also capable of conducting limited reconnaissance patrols in the Western Philippine Sea, where the country is facing Chinese incursions.

Whats Next?

The PAF used to be one of the best in Asia, but its air assets dwindled over time without replacements due to funding problems and the painstaking process involved in the country’s military modernization program.

It is unclear whether the Philippines will purchase additional fixed-wing light attack aircraft in the near future.

A senior official familiar with the military upgrade program said the money for it was limited, so what the Armed Forces did was fund specific requirements according to their priority.

6 new attack helicopters

The 15th Strike Wing also plans to acquire six new attack helicopters.

Lorenzana had said that due to budget constraints, they would opt for Turkish-made Atak T-129 helicopters over competitors Bell AH-1Z Vipers, Boeing AH-64E Apache and Sikorsky S-70i armed Black Hawk of American manufacture. .

He said that the Philippine government had allocated only P13 billion, that they could buy only one or two of the US helicopters.

If the helicopter deal goes through, Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) will provide six T-129 Atak helicopters to PAF for roughly the same amount. However, the acquisition is hampered by Turkey’s problems obtaining an export license from the United States.

Turkey has drawn the ire of the United States after it bought Russia’s S-400 missile system, which could pose a security risk and was said to be incompatible with the NATO system.

In 2018, TAI signed a $ 1.5 billion deal with Pakistan for 30 T-129 helicopters, but the company was unable to obtain the US export licenses.The same could happen with the PAF plan.

If all goes well, these Turkish helicopters would power the eight AgustaWestland 109E attack helicopters of the 15th Strike Wing, which were acquired in 2015 for P3.4 billion, and several McDonnell Douglas (MD) -520MG attack helicopters.

South Korean helicopters

On Friday, Lorenzana announced that the Department of National Defense was interested in obtaining the retired MD-500 Defender helicopters from South Korea along with the Bell UH-1H, which is used primarily for air and cargo transportation.

The MD-500 helicopters could take down the 15th Attack Wing or the Philippine Army Aviation Regiment.

In late 2019, the PAF received two used Bell AH-1 Cobra attack helicopters from Jordan as a donation. The Inquirer learned that they had been configured to fire TOW (tube-launched, optically-tracked, wire-guided) and Spike NLOS (no line of sight) anti-tank missiles and will soon be ready for combat.

With the prospect of growing demand for airpower in counterinsurgency missions, the PAF leadership made some organizational changes in June.

Significant change

The ACC is now in charge of tactical air missions and special operations. The 15th Strike Wing will work closely with the 710th Special Operations Wing, the elite rapid deployment force of the PAF.

The 15th Strike Wing remains at its headquarters in Sangley Point, Cavite province, but will eventually move to Lumbia airport in the city of Cagayan de Oro.

“This significant change is our ultimate response to ensure that our units are reliable and functional to support the growing combat demands of the Armed Forces,” Air Force Chief Lt. Gen. Allen Paredes said in June.

“It is our way of building a strong combat posture and maintaining the achievements of our ongoing ISO (internal security operations) campaign plans against the enemies of the state,” he said.

Read next

EDITOR’S SELECTION

MOST READ