A Philippine Air Force FA-50 fighter jet made in South Korea, which had been missing, crashed into a local mountain, and the bodies of two pilots were found.
On the 5th (local time), according to AP and AFP news agencies, Major General Luis Rex Bergante, commander of the Eastern Mindanao Command of the Philippine Army, stated that the fighter jet and the bodies of the two pilots were found on Mount Kalatungan (height 2,880 m) in Bukidnon Province in southern Mindanao. Major General Bergante noted that the pilots attempted to escape, but their bodies were found inside the fighter jet, which was completely destroyed.
Military officials stated that they are investigating the cause of the crash. The remaining 11 FA-50s in the Philippine Air Force have also temporarily suspended flights following the accident. This fighter jet had departed from Mactan Benito Ebuen Air Base in Cebu in central Philippines to support military forces engaged in a confrontation with the communist rebel New People's Army (NPA) in Bukidnon on the night of the 3rd, but communication was lost during the flight.
Other aircraft that flew together returned safely to Mactan Benito Ebuen Air Base. This incident was reported as the "first major incident" related to the FA-50, as noted by Colonel Consuelo Castillo, the spokesperson for the Air Force.
Since 2014, the Philippines has operated 12 units of the FA-50PH, a modified version of the FA-50 obtained from Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), as a core air force capability. Facing off against China in the South China Sea, the Philippines is pushing to strengthen its defense capabilities, including the air force and navy, and is negotiating with KAI for an additional 12 FA-50 units. It has been reported that a contract for about 1 trillion won for the supply of the 12 FA-50 units is likely to be signed as early as the first half of this year.