AFP "scouting" for MiG-29 or F/A-18 fighter aircraft, "window shopping" for frigates

[GR31]

PNP Special Boat Unit armed with ISRAELI-made TAVOR rifles. So why can't we have the IAI KFIR C10 fighter jets from Israel?

[TuxTips]

Ok you win, i lose....I concede, you are the Best!............... is your ego happy now?

I'm sure am!

The Philippine Air Force will get the M-346 and I will bet my stay here in Pex!! NO TO K-POP!!!

OK someone lost his bet and his ego down to a nill. HAHAHAHA

I love it when i always get the last laugh.

[Gunnar]

I hope the AFP will keep this kind of information confidential to the media.

[_Bahay_Kubo_]

^ yun naman talaga eh. talaga lang mga saksakan ng g@go at t@rantado ang mga media practitioner dito sa bansang ito. walang pakialam sa national security, basta makauna lang sa scoop.

[Azulbanirpal]

I agree, some of these should be kept confidential for national security ikanga. The 'enemy' is reading our mail and then some.

Local media sometimes do not use their proper judgement on reporting the news, Manila Hostage seige is one of many examples.

[Artemio Ricarte]

I hope to God the AFP chooses Russian stuff over American.

Defense items like this carry with them politcal as well as military strings, and I'm sick and tired of the U.S. constantly pressuring other counties to adopt their ways like pro LGBT legislations and other neolib leftist globalist issues.

[_Bahay_Kubo_]

^ there are actually data which state that while the acquisition cost of Russian aircraft is relatively lower compared to that of its Western counterparts, Western-made aircraft are eventually more cost-efficient to operate in the long-run than the ones from Russia.

aside from that, the Russians also have a notoriety for after-sales support to their clients compared to the Americans and the Europeans. mahirap na basta sumugal lang nang basta-basta. ayokong matulad tayo sa Algeria na nasayang ang ginastos na pera sa "bagong" MiG-29s na ibinalik lang sa Russia dahil lumabas na substandard ang pagkagawa (i.e., mga reconditioned na lumang eroplano instead na brand-new).

[Artemio Ricarte]

Well a repeat of that would certainly destroy the Russian military aeronautics industry so I'm sure it would be in the Russians best interest that whatever they sell us will be as good as advertized. especially after such an incident.

And regarding the Algerian purchase, nothing lost naman kasi the Russians did take them back.

It's not like old F 104 starfighters the U.S. sold to the Germans which killed many Luftwaffe pilots. Obviously substandard but no way could the Germans give them back for a return of their money.

Another case scenario in the past which can happen to us was during the Falklands War where the Argentine airforce were using U.S. made Skyhawks, The Americans decided to help the British by giving them the technical details on how to shoot them down.

Finally modern and near modern generation U.S. made combat aircraft require fine tolerances and *****y maintenance. Everything special this and special that, which is why the "after sales" package and beyond becomes a must, but once they're gone the thing is useless. On the other Russian makes are much more rugged, designed to fly off less than perfectly smooth runways, and would probably run on the cheapest vodka and still do it's job.

Anyway, its just a thought.

[_Bahay_Kubo_]

for everyone's information:


http://www.facebook.com/groups/23239...group_activity


From: DND OPA

To clarify some allusions created by a recent television news report, there are no contracts or agreements entered to acquire T/A-50s as implied by use of photos and graphics in the said report. Officially, your government is serious in its intent to empower your Air Force with jet level planes on a time frame of 'within the next two years or well within the administration of President Aquino.

We repeat, there is no agreement to purchase T/A-50s. Our technical teams are still surveying the best systems, technology and best prices - terms that we could avail.

Among the countries we are in exploratory discussions for jet 'abled' planes are: Italy, South Korea, France and the United Kingdom. Please spread and share this. We need your help to correct this allusion. Thank you.

[gipi]

i still think that if your going to purchase military hardware or nowadays, software, you need to clearly know who your defending yourself from or who are you planning on attacking. answering these question will determine what you need to purchase. purchasing fighter jets will do nothing for the phls against the chinese. you may take out their fighter jets but you may have not remedy to counter their missils delivered from ships or landbase stations. purchasing unneccessary warwear will only cost you and aggrivate your enemies. phls posturing is really being encouraged by foreign powers like the usa. phls should work on being neutral and put in place defense systems and strategies that make sense.

[Artemio Ricarte]

Maybe it would be best to simply apply for U.S. statehood, or even go back to being an american commonwealth, or even just a U.S. "trust territory".

I think enough time has passed for us to realize that our little experiment at independence has run its course? Maybe we should admit that since 1946 the american has always been crying out inside each and every one of us Filipinos.

I mean granted that globalization is here to stay, we might as well be among the "globalizers" rather than the "globalizee".

[GR31]

OK someone lost his bet and his ego down to a nill. HAHAHAHA

I love it when i always get the last laugh.

Matagal ng inactive si LR300 pansin ko lang!

for everyone's information:


http://www.facebook.com/groups/23239...group_activity


From: DND OPA

To clarify some allusions created by a recent television news report, there are no contracts or agreements entered to acquire T/A-50s as implied by use of photos and graphics in the said report. Officially, your government is serious in its intent to empower your Air Force with jet level planes on a time frame of 'within the next two years or well within the administration of President Aquino.

We repeat, there is no agreement to purchase T/A-50s. Our technical teams are still surveying the best systems, technology and best prices - terms that we could avail.

Among the countries we are in exploratory discussions for jet 'abled' planes are: Italy, South Korea, France and the United Kingdom. Please spread and share this. We need your help to correct this allusion. Thank you.

Pero ano ito?

[blue_tracer]

akala ko pa naman T/A-50 na bibilhin.

nakakagulat kasi next year na start ng delivery? heheh

[xctrekker]

Maybe it would be best to simply apply for U.S. statehood, or even go back to being an american commonwealth, or even just a U.S. "trust territory".

I think enough time has passed for us to realize that our little experiment at independence has run its course? Maybe we should admit that since 1946 the american has always been crying out inside each and every one of us Filipinos.

I mean granted that globalization is here to stay, we might as well be among the "globalizers" rather than the "globalizee".

There was even a Presidential candidate named Cabangbang back in the 80s I think, who ran on the platform of US statehood for RP. Everybody dismissed him as a nut. He was eventually declared a nuisance candidate.

The joke is that if we were to become a state, sigurado lahat ng Presidential candidates pupunta dito para mag-campaign. Sa laki ng populasyon natin, we can make or break the next President sa dami ng Electoral Votes natin.

On Topic: So nothing definite yet on the T/A-50. But is there a final, short list of candidates (for jets lang) officially released? Biased ako sa Alenia, but hey that's just me.

[GR31]

akala ko pa naman T/A-50 na bibilhin.

nakakagulat kasi next year na start ng delivery? heheh

Philippines Orders South Korean TA-50 Jets

With new territorial challenges facing the Philippines and an antiquated military force riddled with inefficiencies, the Philippine’s ABS-CBN news released a report on 20 June that the Philippine Air Force (PAF) has decided to acquire twelve South Korean TA-50 trainer/fighter jets.

The news report indicates that the aircraft are being offered at a price of $29.8 million per unit with a total package cost of $591.3 million. This purchase is part of a Filipino modernization program estimated to cost a total of $1.5 billion. This acquisition will include spare and replacement parts, training, necessary technical support, and other necessities required to get the aircraft operational.

Philippine Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin told ABS-CBN news that modernizing the PAF’s air defense capabilities is an urgent priority in light of recent territorial disputes with China and is needed to polish the nation’s international image.

Renewed tensions with China have arisen in recent months over territorial disputes that have served to highlight weaknesses in the Philippine’s self-defense capabilities creating a heightened unease in the minds of the Filipino leadership. This unease has spurred Filipino leaders to shop around for affordable military hardware to modernize the island nation’s military forces.

The ABS-CBN report indicated that a firm contract was expected to be finalized by the end of this year with delivery of the twelve aircraft to be completed by the end of 2013. At the present time, Filipino neighbor Indonesia is the only other export customer destined to receive the TA-50, but Seoul has hopes that the TA-50 will eventually prove to be a very attractive buy because of its performance and affordability.

Despite the media report, South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) has publicly stated that although efforts to export the TA-50 to the Philippines were ongoing, they have not yet received a firm commitment for the reported sale.

In purchasing the TA-50, the Philippines will be able to restore jet combat capability to the PAF that has been mostly lacking since the nation’s ten F-5 jets were retired from active service in 2005. The Vietnam-era F-5s were expensive to maintain and no real match against modern aircraft. Back in 2008, the Philippines bought an additional 18 Italian SF-260F trainers for $812,000 each, but the design is decades old and has proven only marginally effective in the light attack role. Most of the other SF-260s in the Philippine inventory have seen hard service and only twenty remain operational. The PAF’s Italian-made S211 jet trainers were replaced by the SF-260s.

Intense efforts by the Philippine government to buy used F-16 aircraft from the United States have so far failed to receive the required clearance from the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA). The plan to buy used F-16s has now pretty much been dropped in consideration of the high cost of reconditioning and maintenance that would be required.

In April, Manila requested US assistance in creating a “minimum credible defense” through the acquisition of upgraded aircraft, radar systems, and patrol boats. In May, President Benigno Aquino announced that his government was looking at obtaining jet aircraft from sources other than the United States, affordable aircraft that could be delivered quickly.

The Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) TA-50 Golden Eagle is a combat-capable version of the T-50 jet trainer. It is a light fighter/attack aircraft of supersonic speed equipped with a 20 millimeter automatic gun and the ability to carry as much as 4.5 tons of missiles and bombs. The aircraft was designed to serve as a lead-in fighter trainer and light fighter attack. When fitted with the Israeli EL/M-2032 radar, the TA-50 can carry a variety of precision-guided munitions, air-to-ground missiles, and air-to-air missiles as well as electronic warfare and reconnaissance pods on external hardpoints.

It is reported that the TA-50 has a level of operational performance equaling that delivered by the South Korean KF-16 aircraft. The TA-50 is equipped with the same F404-GE102 engine that powers the F-16. KAI developed the T-50 in cooperation with Lockheed Martin and both companies are actively involved in promoting the sale and export of the aircraft.

The PAF is also looking to replace its aging fleet of OV-10 Bronco counter-insurgency aircraft. Along with the announcement about the purchase of the TA-50s, the PAF is said to have selected Brazil’s Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano to replace the Broncos. The reported deal would deliver six Super Tucanos at an estimated cost of $115 million.

Italy's Alenia seeks to supply DND up to P6.87-B worth of aircraft

Italy's Alenia Aermacchi S.p.A. is offering the Department of National Defense four to six units of its €20-million apiece M-346 surface attack plane, the firm’s local partner, Aerotech Industries told GMA News Online.

Aerotech Industries chief operating officer Tess Parian said the P1.14 billion price tag on each M-346 “could still change depending on the requirements or specifications the Philippine Air Force may provide later.”

The four-to-six-unit package would cost about P4.58 billion to P6.87 billion at the current exchange rat of P57.28:€1.

Parian said their likely competitor for the supply contract is the Korea Aerospace Industries—maker of the T-50—which Alenia Aermacchi was up against in supply contract biddings in other countries.

Last year, Alenia Aermacchi delivered 18 new SF260FH basic trainers to the PAF.

The trainer planes are now based at the Fenando Airbase in Lipa, Batangas, home to the PAF Air Education and Traning Command.

Parian said Singapore and the United Arab Emirates chose the M-346 for their respective air forces. Singapore got 12 units of the MB-346 and the United Arab Emirates has a tender for 48 units.

“The twin-turbofan M-346 is the most advanced lead-in fighter trainer flying today,” Alenia Aermacchi said on its website.

“With its fully digital flight controls and avionics, together with carefree handling and high AOA maneuvering, the M-346 is fully representative of new generation fighters,” Alena Aermacchi also said.

“... [T]he M-346 is today the only aircraft designed to meet the training needs of pilots of 4th and 5th generation combat aircraft,” it added.

Alenia Aermacchi is part of the Finmeccanica Group and has production facilities in Italy’s Venegono Superiore province. Its production area is 274,000 sqm, accomodating its 1,800 personnel. —VS, GMA News

€20 million = $24.974 million per M-346 aircraft which is around $4.8 million cheaper than the South Korean KAI T/A-50 deal! The Italian offer was cheaper and we have been dealing with Alenia Aermacchi since the 1970s, we also have a licensed local producer of the SF-260 trainer plane (Aerotech Philippines).

[_Bahay_Kubo_]

^ hintayin na lang natin ang official announcement, which might come during Abnoynoy's SONA or during PAF's anniversary. katulad ng sinabi ng DND OPA, walang katotohanan yung report ni Anthony Taberna at ng ABS-CBN na TA-50 ang kukunin natin dahil nasa proseso pa tayo ng evaluation at deal-making.

[TuxTips]

Wait for the Official Announcement so it will not pre empt the acquisition like some leftist crying foul of corruption already to derail the purchases. That M-346 news from GMA is old news which is last April3.

Even though some PAF officials and Aquino himself already made the hints. This is no different from corporation acquiring something like Google Motorola acquisition as an example, we all know its going to happen and the officials are quick to deny until the Official announcements.

[GR31]

Wait for the Official Announcement so it will not pre empt the acquisition like some leftist crying foul of corruption already to derail the purchases. That M-346 news from GMA is old news which is last April3.

Old news ba? Nitong 2012 lang din nareport yan kaya patunay lang na masmura parin ang M-346 kaysa sa T/A-50, hindi naman buwanan ang pagbago ng presyo ng eroplano pero sa simula pa lang talaga ay masmura na ang M-346 kaysa sa T/A-50! Tiyak na may pulitiko na sisilip sa acquisition process at cost ng mga eroplano na yan.

[blue_tracer]

confused tuloy ako sa mga reports.. ano ba talaga, TA-50 o M-346?

maging din factor kaya ang pagiging 2-engine ng master? abangan.

ang mahal ng gripen's.. yun ang bagay sana sa PAF.

[TuxTips]

Im still not 100% sure though but my bet is TA-50, my stake is 100 reputation points.