The Philippine Air Force reported that it lost contact with the FA-50PH light combat aircraft.
The machine, with two people on board, was flying at night as part of a larger group of aircraft of the same type. The planes flew from the Benito Ebuen base on the island of Cebu. The group was to perform a “tactical task” over the southern Philippines. It was probably about dropping bombs on partisan positions.
The group lost contact with the missing aircraft even before reaching the area of the mission’s target. The remaining FA-50s tried to regain communication until they returned to base, but to no avail. The search for the crew is ongoing. Currently, it is not clear what is the cause of the loss of the plane – a technical defect, pilot error or, for example, shooting down the machine by partisans.
The Philippines has been intensively using a squadron of its twelve FA-50s since 2017. These are their only full-fledged combat aircraft. Currently, an increase in their number is being considered, as well as the purchase of medium-sized F-16 aircraft.
Poles flying the FA-50 and consulting, m.in, the Filipinos, learned that by 2024, the Philippine FA-50PH had dropped about 800 classic bombs on the rebels. FA-50PH machines are very similar in configuration to the Polish FA-50GF (Gap Filler).