Philippine Air Force to build more bases, expand operations
The Philippine Air Force (PAF) on July 3 announced a plan to build more bases and expand its operations throughout the country as it has stepped up efforts to enhance the capability of its armed forces.
The Philippine Air Force received FA-50PH aircraft made by a Korean manufacturer in 2017. (Photo: EPA/VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) - The Philippine Air Force (PAF) on July 3 announceda plan to build more bases and expand its operations throughout the country asit has stepped up efforts to enhance the capability of its armed forces.
This year, President Rodrigo Duterte said the PAF completed theacquisition of air defense surveillance radars, utility aircraft and unmannedaerial vehicles to complement its existing air assets.
He said the government is working on the implementation of the secondhorizon of the revised Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) ModernizationProgramme by 2022 with 16 projects for the PAF worth over 139 billion pesos (around2.6 billion USD) already in the pipeline.
Meanwhile, PAF chief Lieut. Gen. Galileo Gerald Kintanar said the PAFhas recently signed an agreement with the Palawan provincial administration toconvert a 300-hectare land on Balabac island in the southern tip off Palawaninto a base.
Kintanar said the PAF has also inked a similar agreement to build a basein Lal-lo, a town in Cagayan province on Luzon island.
The PAF has intensified engagement with the air forces of Indonesia,Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, Britainand the US in line with the Duterte administration's independent foreignpolicy, he added.-VNA
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The Philippine Air Force received FA-50PH aircraft made by a Korean manufacturer in 2017. (Photo: EPA/VNA) 
