Short Context:
1. Flight Plan 2028
It is the Air Force's 14 year modernization program, a 3 stage process of updating, acquiring and institutionalizing new equipment. May not be much but hey, we got AW109s, W-3s and two new C130Ts just because of that. But the topic here is:
2. Is the FA-50 worth it?
President Rodrigo Duterte said once that buying the new F-16s is a waste of money. (He meant the FA-50 lol)
But all 12 has arrived, and in use, so he took it back (well it's useful for airstrikes)
Take note that the Golden Eagle is a fighter trainer, not to mention a supersonic one, so it's a good step to acquiring bigger, badder planes.
The budget we are talking about here is 11 BILLION Pesos (or roughly 219 million dollars)
Now, the big question:
The JAS-39 Gripen?
Originally planned by former president Aquino, the said plane:
Can go supersonic
Can carry weapons
Is a delta wing (maneuverable and dank)
The plan includes acquiring 24 of these (2 squadrons).
The Su-30?
If ever the Philippine government goes with this, this plane will be known as the Su-30MKP (Modernizirovannyi Kommercheskiy Philippines – Modernized Export Philippines)
This plane is neck in neck with the Gripen, as it has the same maneuverability with it. But:
It has longer range
Can carry more weapons than the Gripen
Has two engines (I don't know what this has to do with the competition)
THRUST VECTORING
Like the Gripen, the PAF will also acquire 24 aircraft.
Yet another option: The MiG - 35
This was not announced, but when our President visited Putin, he [Putin] offered a buy one, take one system if we ever buy from Russia.
Thrust vectoring (optional, depending on engine)
Very maneuverable
Not sure how many will be acquired.
buy b2 bawmer
@cmdrzami a-10 is not for export, rip
Mabuhay
A-10 because brrtttt
@PaulJohnLozada tbe f-16s were trashed by the presidents, and su-33s are deemed too expensive to maintain. 40 gripens will do :)
Well, why not buy 8 Gripens, 8 SU-33s and 8 Fighting Falcons?
su-35 because reasons
@JakeTheDogg I think the F-16C would be a fine choice. They're designed specifically to be cheap to run.
And danker. But survivability versus lethality. @JakeTheDogg
But what if Putin decided, if we buy 24 MiG-35s, we get 12 Su-30s for a fraction of the price? @EternalDarkness
Yup, 24 aircraft to be exact. China is our potential enemy here (check out the Spratly Islands dispute) and we need a plane that will match (pun intended, they also have Su-30s) and maybe even surpass. Never mind the F22, its trash.
MiG-35s are quite the choice if you ask me. Range just enough to cover the whole archipelago. @EternalDarkness
219 million dollars? They can buy a dozen of decent planes for that. Philippines don't, in my opinion, need a long range Su-30. That plane is suited for offensive warfare, not for defending a territory. Mig-35 is the optimal choice. Cheaper to buy and maintain than other competitors, more combat-effective than F-16, and better reliability and survivability due to having two engines.
@EternalDarkness
@GoldenEagle
@JakeTheDogg