A South Korean FA-50 fighter jet belonging to the Philippine Air Force has been reported missing during operations, a spokesperson for the Philippine Air Force said on 4th.
According to AFP and AP, an FA-50 carrying two pilots disappeared during a nighttime operation to support ground troops engaged in combat with communist insurgents in the southern Philippines the previous night.
The fighter jet lost contact after departing from Mactan Benito Ebuen Airbase in Cebu in central Philippines and flying toward the target area, said Colonel Consuelo Castillo, spokesperson for the Philippine Air Force.
The Air Force stated, “We are conducting a wide-ranging and thorough search operation using all available resources to locate the missing jet fighter.”
Colonel Castillo noted, “We still hope to recover the aircraft and crew, and we remain very optimistic that they are safe.” He added that this incident marks the first significant case related to the FA-50.
Other aircraft that took off together safely returned to Mactan Benito Ebuen Airbase.
The Philippines has operated 12 FA-50PH units, which are a Philippine variant of the FA-50, since introducing them from Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) in 2014 as a key air power.
The Philippines, facing off against China in the South China Sea, is pushing to strengthen its defense capabilities through its air and naval forces and is in negotiations with KAI for an additional 12 FA-50 units. A supply contract for about 1 trillion won for 12 FA-50 units is expected to be signed within the first half of the year.