Is the Philippines air force prepared? Crash raises questions on purchase, aircraft type

The grounding of the remaining FA-50 jets has raised concerns about airspace vulnerability and prompted calls for quicker military modernisation

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A FA-50 fighter jet is parked on the tarmac at a Philippine airbase in Angeles City, Pampanga province. Photo: AFP

Published: 12:00pm, 7 Mar 2025

The aftermath of a fighter jet crash in the Philippines has cast the spotlight on its air force’s capabilities and whether the grounding of its remaining FA-50 squadron would leave the country’s airspace vulnerable as President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr ordered a swift investigation into the tragedy that killed two pilots.

The South Korean-made plane, which was dispatched from Mactan Cebu airbase in central Philippines for tactical support in Bukidnon province in the south, went missing on Tuesday.

Rescuers found the aircraft’s wreckage a day later on Mount Kalatungan, the country’s fifth-tallest mountain. The remains of the two crew members were recovered and brought to a funeral parlour on Thursday.

“Our president is expediting the immediate investigation of [what] went wrong and what else can be the remedy for these kinds of incidents,” Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro told reporters on Thursday.

Colonel Maria Consuelo Castillo, air force spokeswoman, told reporters investigators were examining multiple factors, including mechanical issues, human error and weather, before drawing any conclusions.

The air force grounded its 11 remaining FA-50 jets following the incident, a move analysts argue leaves the country’s airspace “defenceless”.