As it braces for more dangerous maneuvers by Chinese fighter jets, the Philippines is mulling the deployment of the FA-50 fighters, a cutting—edge aircraft, to escort its patrol aircraft over the South China Sea.
China is notorious for conducting dangerous interceptions of foreign military aircraft in the international air space over the South and East China Seas. In one such incident last week, two fighter jets of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) flew dangerously close to an NC-212i light transport plane of the Philippines Air Force (PAF), firing flares on its path.
The incident occurred in the airspace over the Scarborough Shoal, a territory that remains disputed between Beijing and Manila. A top Philippine security official said the Chinese aircraft “put the lives of our pilots in real risk and danger” as they flew at a “very close distance” to the PAF’s turboprop aircraft. The Chinese fighters allegedly fired eight flares.
Following this incident, the Philippines Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary, Gilberto Teodoro Jr., said, “Ito ay (It will be a) continuous struggle for presence and assertion of sovereign rights in the area so you will have to expect these things to happen.” Teodoro stated that it was imperative to discuss the deployment of FA-50PH for escorting patrol aircraft in the future.
Additionally, when questioned if the country had any assets to keep up with the PLAAF’s aggressive maneuvers, Acting Chief Colonel Rifiel Santiago Sotto of the Philippine Air Force’s (PAF) public affairs office responded that the FA-50 Golden Eagle fighter aircraft was the nation’s only means of countering China’s air power.
“Right now, almost everybody knows that we have FA-50s on our inventory. But the procurement process and the modernization program of the Armed Forces is on the level of higher department,” Sotto said.
Although the prospect of deploying the FA-50 is still very nascent, it assumes significance in the face of growing Chinese threats in the region.
FA-50 Might Escort Maritime Patrol Planes
Military analysts have consistently indicated that the Philippine Air Force is arguably the country’s least robust component, highlighting the need for at least a dozen squadrons of multirole jets to effectively protect the archipelago’s airspace.
Although Filipino President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has given the green light for the state to acquire new multirole fighter jets, the process is going to take time, and the FA-50s are currently the only aircraft that the PAF could deploy to deter the Chinese fighter jets. Manila has reportedly been offered the most advanced variant of the F-16 and the Saab Gripen, but a decision on acquisition has yet to be made.
In contrast to the FA-50 light fighter jets in the Philippines’ inventory, China has a massive air fleet composed of heavy and multi-role fighters that are believed to vastly exceed the capability of the South Korean-origin FA-50.
Currently, the PAF’s inventory consists of 12 KAI FA-50s, a single-engine, twin-seat aircraft acquired from South Korea. The FA-50 is based on the T-50, an indigenous trainer aircraft capable of supersonic flight that was modified from the F-16 to train pilots for the KF-16 and F-15K.
The aircraft is powered by a GE F404 engine and equipped with the Elta EL/M-2032 fire control radar. It has an internal fuel capacity of 2,655 liters, and an additional 1,710 liters can be carried in the three external fuel tanks. Its maximum take-off weight is 12,300 kilograms. The ferry range is 1,851 kilometers, and the thrust/weight ratio is 0.96. The seven hard points can take up to a 5,400-kilogram payload.
Being the most sophisticated and upgraded version of the T-50, the FA-50 has increased internal fuel capacity, improved avionics, a longer radome, and a tactic datalink. Additionally, it is said to be outfitted with an Israeli EL/M-2032 pulse-Doppler radar that has been adapted specifically for South Korea by LIG Nex1.
In addition to carrying most of the missiles, bombs, and other ordnance carried by the South Korean Air Force, the FA-50 is also equipped with armament comparable to that carried by the F-16 Fighting Falcon and JAS-39 Gripen. It is equipped with a 20mm cannon.
Interestingly, the FA-50s dealt a serious blow to China last year when the aircraft defeated the JF-17 which is jointly produced by China and Pakistan, for the ‘much awaited’ Malaysian fighter jet contract. The JF-17 then lost to second-hand F-16 fighters for the Argentine deal.
So, while the aircraft may be a light fighter, it continues to attract interest worldwide and is considered to be a force to reckon with. In September 2022, Poland’s Ministry of National Defense signed a deal to buy 48 FA-50 light attack aircraft from South Korea. The delivery of the light combat aircraft was completed in record time, in under 10 months.
While air combat between a Filipino FA-50 and a Chinese fighter is unlikely, the Philippines’ leadership would be sending a strong signal to Beijing with a potential FA-50 deployment. As Indian Air Force veteran Air Marshal Anil Chopra told the EurAsian Times, “Any such deployment for escort would be aimed at posturing, not combat.”
