THE Air Force will temporarily base its acquired FA-50 “Golden Eagle” fighter jets at Clark Field, pending the rehabilitation of its facilities at Basa Air Base, also in Pampanga.
Two of the squadron of 12 FA-50 jets from South Korea have been turned over to the military on Saturday, while the rest are expected to be delivered by 2017.
“For the next year, it’s going to be in Clark. The facilities, both in Basa Air Base in Pampanga and in Subic are not prepared to accommodate the FA-50. So what will happen is we’re going to fix those facilities, both Subic and Clark simultaneously,” the Air Force Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Galileo Gerard Kintanar said.
“By middle of next year, if things go well in the repair of some facilities in Subic, we might be able to transfer some of our operations there. In Basa, it will take longer,” Kintanar added.
Basa Air Base used to be the base of the Fifth Fighter Wing and home of the Air Force aerobatic team “Blue Diamonds.”
The Air Force official said the repair would include upgrading the current aerodrome facilities, runway and hangars at Basa Air Base.
“By 2017 we see that Basa will be operationalized for fighter operations,” Kintanar said.
Subic and Clark have been eyed as among the facilities eyed by the US to temporarily base its military assets and equipment under its pivot program for Asia once the RP-US Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca) is implemented.
Several groups and individuals have questioned Edca’s constitutionality before the Supreme Court.
Kintanar said the Air Force is also planning to base some of the fighter jets at the Antonio Bautista Air Base in Palawan, but its facilities would also have to be upgraded.
“It’s going to be a simultaneous thing. We’re going to repair as well some of facilities in Palawan in Antonio Bautista Air Base, and, hopefully, as we train new pilots for the FA-50 and as soon as we call them combat ready, they would be deployed in those areas,” Kintanar said.
“We know it’s going to be a difficult a step, but we’re getting there. We are going to train more pilots, we are going to get more aircraft. By 2017 and hopefully by 2018, we’ll see them deployed already in Palawan,” Kintanar added.
Like Subic, the US military also wants to station its assets and equipment in Palawan, still under the Edca.