November 22, 2011
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| VISITOR FROM SEOUL President Aquino (right) listens as South Korean President Lee Myung-bak speaks during Monday’s joint news conference in Malacañang. Lee is in Manila for a three-day state visit. JOAN BONDOC |
The Philippines has been asking the Korean government if they can provide soft loans for jet aircraft procurement as the country doesn't have enough cash to acquire multi-role trainer jets for the PAF.
On Monday, President Benigno Aquino III meet with visiting South Korean
President Lee Myung-bak for the country’s military needs.
Mr. Aquino said he and Lee discussed how Korea could help them in upgrading the AFP arsenal.
“I expressed to President Lee the interest of
the Philippines to gain some specific defense articles such as
military-grade helicopters, boats and aircraft,” Mr. Aquino said in a
joint news conference.
“This is in consonance with the upgrading and modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” the President added.
Lee did not disclose what specific request were made, but the South Korean government representative at the meeting confirmed that TA-50 was indeed offered for Aquino's consideration, with the Korean government shouldering the cost of procurement for the jets of the Philippine Air Force. Procurement of fast Patrol craft for the navy was also in the lists as Korea wanted to cooperate with the Philippines to resolve its
maritime problems.
During the visit, South Korea signed an agreement to provide soft loans of up to $500 million to the Philippines. No details were immediately available as to where the loans go.
The concessional loans would come from the Economic Development
Cooperation Fund and disbursed through the Export-Import Bank of Korea
from this year until 2013, the two countries said.
Some of the funds have been identified to go for the completion of Laguindingan International Airport, construction of Hanjin Power Plant in Subic, and priority irrigation projects to improve rice harvest efficiency. Four rice processing centers will be build in various parts of the country with a project cost P785 million funded by a grant from the Korea International Cooperation Agency.
Some of the funds have been identified to go for the completion of Laguindingan International Airport, construction of Hanjin Power Plant in Subic, and priority irrigation projects to improve rice harvest efficiency. Four rice processing centers will be build in various parts of the country with a project cost P785 million funded by a grant from the Korea International Cooperation Agency.
The TA-50 is a joint venture program of Korea Aerospace Industrie (KAI)
and Lockheed Martin of the United States, with a price tag of USD $25
million a piece.
The Philippine Air Force has been shopping for six brand new trainer jet fighters and shortlisted the lists to either Korea’s TA-50 Golden Eagle or Italy’s M-346.
The deal is expected to save the government some $150 million dollars from the purchase of the jets which can be use to fund the capability upgrade of the AFP.
This is great news indeed, I hope we can easily finance more rather than through loans, but its a good start.
ReplyDeleteGreat news! Good Job! sana tuloy tuloy na ito.
ReplyDeleteAside sa TA 50 sana sa wish list ng navy ay gomduksuri class OPV and Icheon class frigate. Mabuhay! and more power to Pilipinas and Korea. c",)
how about the KF-16
ReplyDeleteThis is good! korea i a great ally and more supportive. TA - 50 golden eagle is a brand new multi role jet trainer, it will last for 40 years like the F5's during 1960's. i wish our country would have at least 12 of it. 6 one seater and 6 two seater. then we can train and the same time territorial patrol, specially in the west philippine sea.
ReplyDeleteMr. President i wish you would go for the loan. i know, many of our stupid intelligent politicians and kababayan will criticize this loan because they will said, it is better for the loan to use in some way. they don't understand why you are doing these. they do't even know that it will benefits our country protecting the oil and natural gas area. and they don't even know that we don't have a territorial patrol jet fighters. mabuhay ka President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III.
Galing ni pnoy..karapat dapat ka na maging pangulo naming pilipino..more powers pnoy
ReplyDeleteMr. President or those military planners....Sirs, request nyo na din na ibigay sa atin for FREE yung mga F-5's at F-4 Phantom II jets nila na reretire nila this year....this will add more firepower to our Airforce while waiting for US to sell us or give us F-16 MRF jets....kunin na natin lahat yung 100+ pcs. nila...Sayang naman kung sa iba pa mapunta..
ReplyDeleteMalaking pang gulat din yun sa mga gustomg sumakop sa Spratlys ke mapa China, Vietnam, Malaysia or Taiwan pa yan...biruin mo 100 jets ang sasagupa sa kanila at kargado ng mga missiles at bomba...ewan ko na lang kung hindi bumahag ang buntot ng mga yan...kahit pa mas modern ang mga jets nila..
South Korea is a true friend of the country. Their effort to provide military assistance is unequal even by our traditional ally the USA. This just show how they value our military assistance during the Korean War. Pnoy is really in the right move here, lets grab this offer.
ReplyDeleteI hope the donation of a ROSK Pohang Class Corvette should be fast track to complement our BRP Gregorio Del Pilar in deterring Chinese aggression in the West Philippine Sea and Scarborough Shoal.
Next stop... order Israeli Kfirs (if available, cheaper than the F-16 to maintain) would be a good start. Many of the Chinese aircraft are somewhat based on the Israelites (like the J-10)... time to give them some technological payback. Plus, we could train our pilots to only one of the best trained air force in the world!
ReplyDeleteMay j-20 na ang china and through google searching katulad ito sa f-22 raptor ng US kasi bumili ang china ng raptors sa US tas ni re-engineer to ng china and more advance pa.. I think mas bigger na ang percentge ng pinas sa defence kahit may more advanced AC ang china sa US..Naniniwala aq sa story na pinatuba ni david si goliath..gain more power pinas and more power pnoy..=)
Deleteexact ung 125m dollars para sa 6 na TA-50. Makakaya yan, kung walang kurakot sa gobyerno, go! go! AFP!
ReplyDeletekaya tangkilikin po natin ang mag KOREAN telenovela,
ReplyDeleteThis is what we need, TA-50 is the best LIFT/MRF for PAF, its supersonic and the best is Brand new pa
ReplyDelete"Sure!"
ReplyDeleteThe Koreans were just generous to the Filipino people. Most of our filipino soldiers fought and die with them in the Korean War during the 1950's (I think at least 300 filipino soldiers died on that war with thousands wounded). Thank you so much for not forgetting our sacrifices now that your country is much more prosperous than the Philippines...
ReplyDeleteRoel Resano
Wow after only almost three years in office PNoy seems to be moving the AFP modernization program forward. Can't comprehend really why FVR, a former military man at that, and GMA, after nine years as President,failed miserably on this initiative. Puro pamumulitika kasi ginawa. Mabuhay ka PNoy! Mabuhay ka Pilipinas!
ReplyDeleteWe made the first step to our long journey......Mabuhay ka PNOY at sambayanang Pilipino - a true president of the people who will defend the constitution & sovereignty of our country.
ReplyDeleteI like the news about the soon to be purchase. What i dont like is the word we have no money. 700 millons to fertilizer scams and so many more lost to graft and corruptions and we dont have the money
ReplyDeletebakit di mo e ask c GMA kung nasaan ang pera?
DeleteIMHO, we also needs missiles for these planes, lots of them to really have a credible External Defense. We need Short Range and Medium Range Air to Air Missiles, and also Anti-Ship Missiles so China can feel we can really threaten their air and sea assets ...
ReplyDeletemore power to south korea and phill. hope army can have new tanks to for internal threat and trucks
ReplyDeleteyou did not see, hear or read the news the philippines already bought a thousand plus army trucks from south korea and its already there delivered to the philippines......
DeleteMas maganda itong nangyayari na sa depensa naman gastusin ang pera nang bayan....nung mga nakaraan taon, sa edukasyon lagi inilalagay, kaso bakit hanggang ngayon kulang pa din classrooms at karampot lang sweldo nang teachers, merong mali....di nakakarating sa dapat puntahan ang pera...naho holdap nina sir at mam....sa depensa nakikita ang pinuntahan nang pera, at naiitaas ang pride nang Pilipinas.
ReplyDeleteAng minimum credible defense na sinasabi....a comprehensive defense capability to maintain the Panatag and Spratly occupied islands in the hand of Pilipinos....buy more missile frigates and destroyers...kailangang pakitaan nang sampol ang mga instik na dadanak talaga ang dugo kapag nagpumilit sila...
ReplyDeleteDapat wag mamalimos ang Pilipinas nang mga kagamitang pandigma....gastusan ang depensa....wag ipamigay sa mga mahihirap na di naman nagsisikap....ibalik ang BLUE DIAMONDS....at tataas ang pride nang mga Pilipino.
ReplyDeletesaan tayo nanglilimos hindi mo ba alam kahit second hand binabayaran natin mga pilipino ng mahal katulad ng barko na nabili natin sa america na tinanggalan pa ng mga armas, pisting mga amerikanong yan..
DeleteCheck this out.....sabi sa POLLS sa China, 80% nang chinese ang pabor sa pagsampal sa Pilipinas, dahil sa pagpapakita nang Pilipinas nang katigasan. Ang term na ginamit sa Polls ay "SLAP THE FACE OF PHILIPPINES"....ang problema sa China, ang isipan nang gobyerno, ay ang isipan nang mga tao, totally brainwashed...so ang kalaban natin ay country of zombies...
ReplyDeleteFart the Face of China!
DeleteThe problem of the Philippines is that we do not manufacture our own planes, tanks, etcs. that our politicians can filter money from to further their insignificant political careers. Kasi kung meron ngang gumagawa nyan sa Pinas eh baka walang salita-salita bibili na agad tayo nyan kasi may pangpadulas.
ReplyDeleteKurakot ng kurakot hindi e una ang bayan. Wala na sa pinto natin ang mga tsino mga gagong puliko, nasa bakuran na natin.
Japan nman ang sabi handa rin nla tyo tulungan sa Navy ntin
ReplyDelete