Air Force to buy fighter jets by 2011

[Monseratto]

THe Philippines economically better off than some South Asian countries like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, pero meron sila Mig29 at IAI Kfir. The example of not even having a missing man fly over in honour for the fallen Nomad airmen speaks a lot, we just don't even have the planes to do one...

[jick.cejoco]

THe Philippines economically better off than some South Asian countries like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, pero meron sila Mig29 at IAI Kfir. The example of not even having a missing man fly over in honour for the fallen Nomad airmen speaks a lot, we just don't even have the planes to do one...

let's refocus:
smaller countries have their own self defense force. the superpowers have the bigger capabilities like the u.s. who can fight simultaneous wars worldwide for what reasons, we are not discussing. the u.s. is capable of deploying not only bombers, unmanned aerial vehicles, air refuelers, reconnaissance planes, medevac planes, typhoon chasers, rescue helicopters, cargo and passenger planes, fighter planes, and mobile airborne command planes. japan have their JASDF or japanese air self defense force who rely on the u.s. for airbases, aerial refueling, combat support, technological support and pilot training just like the philippines. what is unique to the philippines is that, we are an archipelago with only about three to four flying hours from basco batanes to jolo. but we do not have the capability of support nor enough available air bases to support the aircraft. they have to refuel somewhere. the crew have to rest somewhere. the planes have to be maintained somewhere. but we do not have the infrastructure to safely and securely do so. let's wake up and smell the coffee

[tanatej]

P - lanes

A - lways

F - alling

[tanatej]

not to mention maintaining the birds, fueling the birds specially aerial refueling, securing the birds and training and constantly training and maintaining and daily keeping the birds out of the hands of possible terrorsists.

Sana nangingitlog din yung mga birds para may bagong birds parati at di yung mga lolo at lola ng ikalawang digmaang pandaigdig ang lumilipad pa rin kahit kalansay na sila.

[chua_riwap]

Got this from Tulfo's column. Iisa lang pala ang C-130 natin........



The crash of the Nomad in Cotabato City has reduced the practically non-existent fleet of our Air Force.

With the grounding of all the remaining eight-passenger Nomads, if there are any left, the only fixed-wing aircraft that the Air Force can use as shuttle is the lone C-130 Hercules.

The Air Force has a few Huey helicopters left from an original fleet of 120 in its heyday.

Ours is probably the only air force in the world with no planes.

[Monseratto]

Makes me wonder more how poorer countries than ours can afford first line aircraft and we can't.

[alainroyce]

Sana matuloy pagbili nila.. I remember during FVR, they sold the bases for arm forces modernization program... saan napunta pinagbentahan ng mga base militar? may nabili bang bagong aircraft? wala! nasa bulsa na nila lahat. nag pa demo pa nga sila nung mig 21 yata yun from russia with 14 russian lady. naiwan at nabuntis yung mga russian girl pero yung mig 21 walang nagyari.

[Benji_DCP]

What AIR FORCE? PAF have virtually no FORCE in the AIR? They are more of a ground force.

What the government can afford will most likely not even good enough defend our skies?

PAF: Philippine Air Farce

oops.. misspelled.. On the other hand, the PAF is really a big joke.

[Altis6453]

Congress should do us a favor and just abolish the PAF if they can't pony up the money to buy planes. Ginagawa lang taga-hatid ng mga pulitiko sa probinsya ang mga eroplano at helicopter nila. The pilots that they train for so many years immediately leave after their tour of duty is up for a more lucrative pay as an airline pilot.

[adspie]

Congress should do us a favor and just abolish the PAF if they can't pony up the money to buy planes. Ginagawa lang taga-hatid ng mga pulitiko sa probinsya ang mga eroplano at helicopter nila. The pilots that they train for so many years immediately leave after their tour of duty is up for a more lucrative pay as an airline pilot.

sus naku! mga congress papogi lang yan silang lahat eh walang my nagawa.. mga politiko natin walang kwenta

[Jun aka Pekto]

PAF: Philippine Air Farce

oops.. misspelled.. On the other hand, the PAF is really a big joke.

A lack of equipment doesn't make the PAF a farce. When I was still active, we accorded our PAF colleagues the same respect we gave to the RAF or any other front-line air force.

Even now I still have the utmost respect. They're doing the best they can with what they have.

[jerjer&qtqt]

in our situation, its better to invest in SAM than planes. abolish PAF or integrate it with the army with the pupose of delivery and rescue missions only so they have to invest only in good helicopters and transport planes and not multimillion dollar fighter planes that cannot be maintained.

[Altis6453]

A lack of equipment doesn't make the PAF a farce. When I was still active, we accorded our PAF colleagues the same respect we gave to the RAF or any other front-line air force.

Even now I still have the utmost respect. They're doing the best they can with what they have.

Well, I think the enlisted personnel and servicemen of the PAF do get a lot of respect. It's the institution which really suffers from lack of credibility and respect due to its inability to modernize and protect RP's skies.

[Benji_DCP]

Well, I think the enlisted personnel and servicemen of the PAF do get a lot of respect. It's the institution which really suffers from lack of credibility and respect due to its inability to modernize and protect RP's skies.

You are absolutely right. The men of the AFP get the respect that is due to them. But the PAF as institution is still a Farce. And we lament, how can the leaders of this country do this to the officers and men of its air force (and to the other armed services)? In most countries, their armed services is a source of national pride. Can we be proud of our PAF?

in our situation, its better to invest in SAM than planes. abolish PAF or integrate it with the army with the pupose of delivery and rescue missions only so they have to invest only in good helicopters and transport planes and not multimillion dollar fighter planes that cannot be maintained.

Even the existing rescue capabilities of our armed forces is pathetic... Recall Ondoy. This country would have been better off if we have just let the Americans continue using the Clark and Subic bases, we may still have access to military hardware assistance.

[Monseratto]

At least they don't pretend that we still have an "Air Force"...Too bad this goverment took 9 years to do something about it.

Air Force planes are ‘pitiful,’ says Gonzales

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – "Pitiful" is how Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales described the current state of the Philippine Air Force's aircraft.

"Nothing to be proud of," Gonzales said during a visit here Friday. He was specifically responding to reports that the PAF regularly salvages parts from old aircraft to make other planes fly.

He recounted a first-hand experience with PAF personnel remedying an aircraft problem by replacing worn out parts with those taken from another aircraft.

"I have been using Philippine Air Force planes and I have encountered an incident, when we once landed in Cebu but we could take off. The pilots advised me to wait for about 30 minutes because they needed to get some parts from another aircraft so we could fly again. That's really pitiful," he said.

Gonzales said, however, that the ingenuity of the PAF personnel and their ability to live with what they have so that the military’s aircraft could fly again was truly admirable.

"But you should see their ability to make do with what they have," he said.

Gonzales said even though he knew how sorry the state of the PAF's air assets is, which could be attested to by the crash of a Nomad B18 in Cotabato City last month, there would be no immediate acquisitions of new aircraft.

With only about five months left for him as defense secretary, Gonzales said what he has been doing is to "lay the groundwork for modernization" of the PAF.

Lieutenant Colonel Gerardo Zamudio, PAF spokesperson, said they were happy because government officials, particularly Gonzales, have finally taken notice of the state of their air assets.

He said in the 1960s and the 1970s the PAF was the pride of Asia, but those days were gone.

Zamudio said these days, PAF maintenance personnel and pilots have to make do with what they have just to make aircraft fly.

"It is not chop-chop. We call it cannibalization process and it's legal. Its main purpose is to maximize the worthiness of an aircraft component with the end view of saving government money and to maintain the air responsiveness of the Air Force," he said.

[hein]

If an enemy plane enters the Phlippines with a huge Bomb, all that the fat generals can do is sit and pray.

That is how pathetic we are.

[ghosthunter]

If an enemy plane enters the Phlippines with a huge Bomb, all that the fat generals can do is sit and pray.

That is how pathetic we are.

It would be the same thing if a boat carrying a big BOMB labeled right on the side would sail up Pasig river and park itself right outside Malacanyang Palace.

[krazeyrock]

let's refocus:
smaller countries have their own self defense force. the superpowers have the bigger capabilities like the u.s. who can fight simultaneous wars worldwide for what reasons, we are not discussing. the u.s. is capable of deploying not only bombers, unmanned aerial vehicles, air refuelers, reconnaissance planes, medevac planes, typhoon chasers, rescue helicopters, cargo and passenger planes, fighter planes, and mobile airborne command planes. japan have their JASDF or japanese air self defense force who rely on the u.s. for airbases, aerial refueling, combat support, technological support and pilot training just like the philippines. what is unique to the philippines is that, we are an archipelago with only about three to four flying hours from basco batanes to jolo. but we do not have the capability of support nor enough available air bases to support the aircraft. they have to refuel somewhere. the crew have to rest somewhere. the planes have to be maintained somewhere. but we do not have the infrastructure to safely and securely do so. let's wake up and smell the coffee

actually we have a lot of airbase.... the domestic and international airports in our country act as an airbase too. Villamor airbase shares runway with NAIA, so as the NOMAD flight that crash share airbase and tower control facilities in zamboanga. If you go to palawan the airbase is just across the airport terminal, they have a hangar there without a plane, but sometimes i saw an ob10 bomber.

One thing i recall about a statement made by their officer to sympathize to the grieving families of the NOMAD flight, "its part of their job to die in the line of duty" that's crap, being a pilot is already a hard goal that few cadets only pass the test plus being a PMA cadet, you are considered the cream of the crop and then you die just because of flying a plane that is poorly maintained and should already be considered not to be flown because of numerous crash records across the globe.

[jick.cejoco]

actually we have a lot of airbase.... the domestic and international airports in our country act as an airbase too. Villamor airbase shares runway with NAIA, so as the NOMAD flight that crash share airbase and tower control facilities in zamboanga. If you go to palawan the airbase is just across the airport terminal, they have a hangar there without a plane, but sometimes i saw an ob10 bomber.

what you are referring to are just shell covered parking spots that are not even HASes (hardened aircraft shelters) in case we do have fighter planes in case a tora tora tora type attack happens. this will wipe out the assets in a blow. the hangars need tools, equipment, supplies, trained maintainers, technical orders (repair manuals, specifications, etc.) spare components and engines are supposed to be in the hangars. we probably don't even have forklifts to move, transfer and load parts to cargo planes that we do not have. hangar shells are nothing but warehouses with supposedly working fire suppression systems

[Benji_DCP]

Congress should do us a favor and just abolish the PAF if they can't pony up the money to buy planes. Ginagawa lang taga-hatid ng mga pulitiko sa probinsya ang mga eroplano at helicopter nila.

hmmm...I'd say, let the politicians continue to ride the remaining planes of the Philippine Air Farce.