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Philippine Air Force
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The Philippine Air Force (PAF) is the air force of the Republic of the Philippines, and one of the three main services of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Its official name in Filipino is Hukbong Himpapawid ng Pilipinas.
HistoryThe Philippine Air Force became a separate military service on July 1, 1947, when President Manuel Roxas issued Executive Order No. 94. This order created the Philippine Naval Patrol and the Air Force as equal branches of the Philippine Army and the Philippine Constabulary. The Air Force was preceded by the:
World War I and Inter-War YearsAlthough the Philippines did not have its own air corps as of yet during World War I, Filipino volunteers from the Philippine National Guard were accepted for flight training at Fort Mills on Corregidor, which was then home to the 1st Company, 2nd Squadron of the Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps. By February 1918 these volunteers finished their ground schooling and were ready for flight training in the United States. On March 15 Governor-General Francis Burton Harrison's request for flight training for these volunteers would be denied as there were no more planes available.
These volunteers were then assigned to Fort Stotsenburg as part of the Artillery Corps of the Philippine National Guard. After the War, the National Guard was disbanded. Surplus material from the war was sold to the Philippine Militia Commission (PMC). Now equipped with aircraft, the PMC commissioned the Curtiss School of Aviation to provide flight training to 33 students at Camp Claudio in Parañaque, ten Philippine Constabulary officers and 23 recruits from the National Guard. On April 26, 1920 Lieutenant Leoncio Malinao became the first locally-trained Filipino military pilot to go on a solo flight.
On July 7, 1920 the Council of State established the Philippine Air Service, which was tasked to provide air mail and passenger flights between Manila, Cebu, Iloilo, and Zamboanga. In 1921, the Service was forced to shut down due to lack of funds.
On January 2, 1935 Brigadier General Basilio J. Valdes formally organized the Philippine Constabulary Air Corps, which was tasked to provide reconnaissance support to the Philippine Constabulary. On December 23 the National Defense Act of 1935 provided for the creation of the Philippine Army, which was to be composed of the Philippine Constabulary; the Constabulary Air Corps which became the Philippine Army Air Corps.
Up until the beginning of the Pacific War, the Army Air Corps focused on training pilots and on acquiring aircraft and facilities. Air Corps instructors were tasked to train both Filipino and American pilots. A prominent student was Lieutenant Colonel Dwight D. Eisenhower, who took flying lessons, while serving a tour of duty as part of General Douglas MacArthur's staff.
World War IIShortly before the Pacific War began the Army Air Corps was absorbed by the U.S. Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE). At that time, the Air Corps had 142 pilots, 1,700 enlisted men, and four airfields: Zablan Field (east portion of Camp Murphy which is now known as Camp Aguinaldo), Maniquis Field in Nueva Ecija, Batangas Field, and Lahug Field in Cebu.
On December 8, 1941 the Japanese attacked Clark Airfield. Two squadrons of Boeing B-17s and a squadron of P-40 fighters and other assorted aircraft were destroyed. By December 9 the Army Air Corps's 6th Pursuit Squadron at Batangas Field under Captain Jesus Villamor was the only intact aviation unit in the USAFFE.
The 6th Pursuit Squadron (later on it became 6th Tactical Fighter Squadron) then proceeded to engage the Japanese in dogfights over Manila and Batangas. The squadron possibly shot down two enemy fighters and a bomber, but these kills are unconfirmed. First Lieutenant Cesar Basa, after whom Basa Air Base in Pampanga is named, was the only one in the squadron not to survive the battle.
Villamor went on to gather intelligence for the Allied forces. He would later receive the Distinguished Service Cross; his men would receive the Silver Star with an oak leaf cluster. After the war, the Philippine government honored Villamor with the Medal of Valor as well as his squadron, with the Gold Cross with Bronze Anahaw Leaf.
With much of its aircraft gone, the Army Air Corps was then ordered by General Jonathan Wainwright to destroy its remaining planes and join the retreat to Bataan.
After General MacArthur landed in Leyte, the remaining Army Air Corps pilots were sent to Leyte and subsequently to the United States for refresher flight training. Undergraduate cadets of the Flying School were also sent to the United States. When they returned to the Philippines, the Air Corps was reorganized by Lieutenant Colonel John Ryan of the U.S. Army Air Corps, who was also acting chief of the Philippine Army Air Corps until Lt. Col. Edwin Andrews arrived in the Philippines.
In September 1945 the Air Corps regained flying status when the 1st Troop Carrier Squadron at the Lipa Army Air Base in Batangas was activated with two Douglas C-47s. By January 1946 the squadron had 22 such aircraft.
Communist Insurgency and the Cold WarAfter Philippine independence was granted on July 4, 1946 the Hukbalahap rebellion would become the predominant focus of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. To quell the insurgency, the Air Force primarily employed the North American P-51D Mustang.
At the height of the Cold War, the Philippine Air Force would become one of the best-equipped air forces in Asia, and would remain such for over three decades. At one point, the Air Force had more P-51 Mustangs than it had pilots.
Jet aircraft were introduced to the inventory in 1954 when Colonel Godofredo Juliano, Majors Pestaña and Rancudo, and Captain Jose Gil flew an initial batch of T-33 jet trainer aircraft from Japan. These aircraft landed at Clark Air Base as the PAF's Basa Air Base was not yet able to handle jet aircraft.
In 1956 the PAF acquired several squadrons of F-86F Sabres, which became ready for combat after proficiency flights and aerial exercises with the 13th Air Force at Clark Air Base.
In 1953 1Lt. Jose Gonzalez and other pilots from the 6th Tactical Fighter Squadron of the 5th Fighter Wing at Basa Air Base formed the Blue Diamonds, a group of pilots which excelled in precision aerobatic flying. The Blue Diamonds first used the P-51s, then the F-86s, and finally, the F-5s. It was considered the Philippine counterpart to the USAF Thunderbirds.
By the 1960s the Philippine Air Force was totally dependent on the United States for equipment and funding, that the Philippine Air Force could be candidly referred to as the "United States Air Force run by Filipinos." An extensive radar network had been activated across the country, and the first batch of F-5 Freedom Fighters armed with AIM-9B "Sidewinder" missiles had arrived.
In 1962 United Nations Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld asked the Philippine Government to send a tactical air squadron to neutralize secessionists in the Congo. In 1963 Filipino, Swedish, and Iranian fighter units secured the airspace over the Congo. This earned the Limbas Squadron the United Nations Service Medal.
In the same year the PAF sent a mercy mission to Bali, Indonesia after Mount Agung erupted. Air Force paramedics, including a team of doctors and nurses from the Department of Health, treated and vaccinated thousands of evacuees in a field hospital. Seven Douglas C-47s ferried the team along with medical supplies and relief goods.
In the 1970s the PAF had a complete array of bases and airfields, including landing strips in the Sulu Sea and the Kalayaan Islands. This Marks the glory days of the Philippine Air Force not only in the Armed Forces of the Philippines but second in Asia.
After the Hukbalahap insurgency was quelled, the focus turned its attention to the New People's Army (NPA) and the Moro National Liberation Front. The Air Force would play a significant role in the continuing effort to destroy the NPA. One of the most significant battles against the NPA occurred in November 1972 during the Battle of Sibalu Hill in Jolo, Sulu. During this operation, numerous waves of F-5 and F-86 fighters, as well as T-33 jets and C-47 gunships, took to the skies from Mactan for Jolo every minute, continuously bombarding the insurgent camp.
In late 1977 the Philippine Air Force acquired 35 F-8P Crusaders (refurbished F-8H Crusaders). As part of the deal, the United States Air Force would train Filipino pilots in the TF-8A. The F-8s were withdrawn from service beginning in 1988 and were finally withdrawn from service in 1991, after they were badly damaged by the Mount Pinatubo eruption. They have since been offered for sale as scrap.
1986 People Power RevolutionThe Air Force also played a significant role in the success of the 1986 People Power Revolution. On February 24, 1986, at the height of the revolution, Colonel Antonio Sotelo defected the 15th Strike Wing to the Ramos-Enrile camp, taking with him his squadron's Sikorsky S-76 gunships. Later in the day, Captain Wilfredo Evangelista of that particular wing fired warning shots at Malacañang Palace; at noon, three other gunships disabled the Marcos forces at Villamor Air Base.
Wars fought in
ModernizationBy the time the United States Armed Forces left the Philippines, the Philippine Air Force was direly in need of modernization. In the 1990s it was still using 30-year-old F-5A fighter jets. The first aircraft to be acquired during its five-year modernization plan were the Aermacchi S-211, and the McDonnell Douglas MD-520MG Defender.
During the 1990s PAF also had planned to purchase modern fighter aircraft, when the modernization law was enacted, and in 1992 received offers for both the IAI Kfir and the F-16 Fighting Falcon. According to a 1996 article in Flight International magazine, PAF was also offered embargoed Pakistani Lockheed Martin F-16A/Bs and new-build F-18C/Ds, and considered the Dassault Mirage 2000 and the MAPO-MiG MiG-29. The article also reports that earlier offers of secondhand French Dassault Mirage F-1s and Denel Cheetahs from South Africa appeared to have been rejected. However, these modernization programs were put on hold after the Philippines' economy was impacted by the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis.
As the service focuses on the current Internal Security Operations (ISO) of the AFP, current efforts are concentrated on the acquisition of aircraft for counter-insurgency operations, in particular, more helicopter gunships and transport aircraft. The PAF has put up a requirement for Night Capable Attack Helicopters (NCAH), and a replacement for the UH-1H, with 8 units planned initially. There is also a requirement for additional T-41 and SF-260 training aircraft.
In 2007 the Philippine Air Force sent a delegation to China upon the formal invitation of China Aviation Industry Corp. (CATIC). The five-man team, led by Major General Pedro Ike Insierto, inspected the company's line of utility helicopters and fixed-wing transport aircraft. Lieutenant General Horacio Tolentino, Air Force chief at the time, clarified that the inspection did not signify an intent to purchase the aircraft being offered.
On May 12, 2008 the Philippine Air Force signed a contract with Alenia Aermacchi to order 18 brand new units of SF-260 military trainers to be assembled at Clark Air Base at a contract price of 14.6 million US Dollars.
According to Air Force Public Information officer Major Gerardo M. Zamudio Jr., that aside from the new SF-260 trainer planes and night capable attack helicopters, the PAF is set to purchase under its capability upgrade program, 8 primary trainer aircraft, 10 additional Huey UH-1H utility helicopters, 8 brand new combat utility helicopters, 8 new attack helicopters, 2 light lift aircraft, and 12 trainer helicopters.
The Air Force is also out to upgrade 20 MD520MG attack helicopters.
These acquisitions and upgrades, including aerial surveillance cameras, communication equipment, 1.2-ton trucks, and additional military hardware, are part of PAF’s Horizon 1, the internal security - centered stage of modernization focused on making insurgent groups irrelevant by the year 2010.
Horizon 2, the transition stage to territorial defense, is set to take effect by 2012.
Air Force Chief Lt. Gen. Pedrito Cadungog said the Air Force is presently in the process of making a study of what type of fighter jets they are going to acquire. He said the acquisition can only start after 2010 which is the projected defeat of internal security threats.
Organization in 2006| [15th Strike Wing] | HQ, Maj. Danillo S. Atienza AB, Sangley Point, Cavite) |
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| 16th Attack Squadron (Eagles) | OV-10A/C/M | | 17th Attack Squadron (Jaguars) | SF.260TP | | 18th Attack Squadron (Falcons) | MD-520MG | | 20th Attack Squadron (Firebirds) | MD-520MG | | 25th Attack Squadron (Lobos)) | OV-10A/C/M | | Air Defense Wing | Basa AB, Pampanga |
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| 7th Tactical Fighter Squadron (Bulldogs) | S-211 | | 205th Tactical Helicopter Wing | HQ, Benito Ebuen AB, Mactan Island, Cebu |
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| 206th Tactical Helicopter Squadron (Hornets) | S-70A | | 207th Tactical Helicopter Squadron (Stingers) | UH-1 | | 208th Tactical Helicopter Squadron (Daggers) | UH-1 | | 220th Airlift Wing | HQ, Benito Ebuen AB, Mactan Island, Cebu |
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| 221st Tactical Airlift Squadron (Fokkers) | Fokker F-27 | | 222nd Tactical Airlift Squadron (Hercules) | C-130B/H | | 223rd Tactical Airlift Squadron (Nomads) | N-22B/C Nomad | | 100th Training Wing | Fernando AB, Lipa |
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| 101st Primary Flying Training Sqn (Wildcat) | T-41D/Cessna 172-k | | 102nd Basic Flying Training Sqn (Cougar) | SF.260MP | | 505th Search and Rescue Group (Angels) | HQ, Col. Jesus A. Villamor AB, Pasay City, Metro Manila |
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| 5051st Search and Rescue Squadron | Huey II, Bell 205, S-76, UH-1H | | 5052nd Search and Rescue Squadron | Huey II, Bell 205, S-76, UH-1H | | 5053rd Search and Rescue Squadron | Huey II, Bell 205, S-76, UH-1H | | 5056th Search and Rescue Squadron | Huey II, Bell 205, S-76, UH-1H | | 250th Presidential Airlift Wing (Code one) | Col. Jesus A. Villamor AB, Pasay City, Metro Manila |
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| 251st Presidential Airlift Squadron | Fokker F28 | | 252nd Presidential Helicopter Squadron | S-76, S-70A, Bell 212, Bell 412 | | 900th Weather Support Group | Col. Jesus A. Villamor AB, Pasay City, Metro Manila |
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| 901st Weather Squadron | Cessna T-210TG |
Air BasesThe Philippine Air Force has nine air bases located throughout the Philippine archipelago:
- Clark Air Base, Pampanga
- Basa Air Base, Pampanga
- Villamor Air Base, Pasay City
- Danilo Atienza Air Base, Cavite City
- Basilio Fernando Air Base, Batangas
- Antonio Bautista Air Base, Palawan
- Benito Ebuen Air Base, Cebu
- Edwin Andrews Air Base, Zamboanga
- Rajah Buayan Air Base, General Santos City, South Cotabato
See also
External links-
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- at Scramble
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- - independent discussion boards for Philippine military and defense issues.
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