he Philippines will buy 12 South Korean-made FA-50 Block 70 light combat aircraft under a $700 million agreement that will double Manila’s FA-50 fleet and boost the nations’ defense ties.
The acquisition marks “a significant enhancement to the country’s air defense capabilities and aligns with the DND’s [Department of National Defense] comprehensive archipelagic defense concept,” the DND said in mid-June 2025, referring to a strategy prioritizing territorial defense and national sovereignty.
It also underscores Manila’s “continued commitment to national defense,” the statement said, according to the Philippine News Agency.
The FA-50 variant, which is manufactured by Korea Aerospace industries, features advanced avionics and radar systems, extended range, air-to-air refueling capability, and enhanced compatibility with air-to-air and air-to-ground munitions. The deal includes equipment, logistics and training support.
The Philippines and South Korea upgraded their ties to a strategic partnership in 2024, in what Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called a key effort to “promote a rules-based order governed by international law.”
The FA-50 agreement “signals the deepening defense-industrial relations between the two countries,” particularly given regional security concerns centered in the West Philippine Sea, military historian Mark Condeno, a commander in the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary, told FORUM.
China’s aggression and arbitrary territorial claims continue to increase tensions in the waterway, which encompasses the portions of the South China Sea within Manila’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Beijing claims nearly all of the South China Sea, including parts of other nations’ EEZs, and its Coast Guard and maritime militia frequently harass Philippine fishing, military and law enforcement vessels.
South Korea is a staunch supporter of the 2016 international tribunal ruling that dismissed China’s claims as having no legal basis in a case brought by the Philippines, Condeno said.
He said the new FA-50s will enable the Philippine Air Force “to conduct longer air patrols with the country’s regional allies,” contributing to peace and stability.
The first aircraft are expected to be delivered by 2026, according to the publication Aviation Updates Philippines.
South Korea also has supplied warships, amphibious vehicles and other defense assets to the Philippines. South Korea’s HD Hyundai Heavy Industries established a naval support center at Subic Yard in the Philippines in 2022 to conduct maintenance, repair and overhaul on ships delivered to the Philippine Navy, the Yonhap News Agency reported.
Such agreements benefit both countries, with South Korean companies using Philippine workers to maintain South Korean-built equipment, Condeno said.
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