Philippine forces find wreckage of missing fighter jet and the bodies of its 2 pilots
A regional military spokesperson, Lt. Col. Francisco Garello, said without elaborating that the bodies of the two air force pilots were found near the wreckage.
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Pilots can eject from the supersonic jets in case they encounter any problems but the Philippine air force said it remained unclear if the two pilots aboard the FA-50 ejected as it plummeted.
It was also not immediately clear what caused the crash of the supersonic jet, which was acquired by the Philippine government from a South Korean company about a decade ago. An investigation was underway, the air force said.
The rest of the country's 11 FA-50s were grounded following the incident, according to the Philippine air force.
The Philippines acquired 12 FA-50s multi-purpose fighter jets starting in 2015 from South Korea's Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. The 18.9 billion peso ($331 million) contract had been the biggest under a military modernization program that has been repeatedly stalled by a lack of funds. The Philippines has plans to acquire another 12 fighter jets from South Korea.
The military estimates about 1,000 communist guerrillas remain after decades of battle setbacks, surrenders and factional fighting. Peace talks brokered by Norway collapsed under previous President Rodrigo Duterte after both sides accused the other of continuing deadly attacks despite the negotiations.
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In 2023, the government and the communist rebels agreed to resume talks aimed at ending one of Asia's longest insurgencies. But the talks still have not restarted under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Aside from anti-insurgency operations, the jets have been used in a range of activities, from major national ceremonies to patrolling the disputed South China Sea.
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The government of South Korea's new liberal President Lee Jae Myung, who has expressed a willingness to repair ties and resume dialogue with the North, did not immediately respond to Kim's comments. South Korea's Defense Ministry said it had no immediate new assessments to share regarding the North Korean warship's capabilities. South Korean and U.S. military officials say Ulchi Freedom Shield will focus on countering North Korea's advancing nuclear and missile threat and will include training to deter North Korean nuclear use and respond to its missile attacks. The exercise will also incorporate lessons from recent conflicts, including Russia's war in Ukraine and the clash between Israel and Iran, and address threats from drones, GPS jamming and cyberattacks. Kim has hailed the development of his naval destroyer, Choe Hyon, as a significant advancement toward his goal of expanding the operational range and preemptive strike capabilities of his nuclear-armed military. State media said the destroyer, which is being prepared to enter active duty next year, is designed to handle various weapons systems, including antiair and anti-naval weapons, as well as nuclear-capable ballistic and cruise missiles. The North unveiled a second destroyer of the same class in May, but the vessel was damaged during a botched launching ceremony at the northeastern port of Chongjin, prompting an angry reaction from Kim, who called the failure 'criminal.' The North has said the new destroyer, named Kang Kon, was relaunched in June after repair, but some outside experts have questioned whether the ship is fully operational. During Monday's visit to Nampo, Kim also reviewed North Korean efforts to complete a third destroyer by October, KCNA said. While inspecting Choe Hyon, Kim expressed satisfaction with the progress of the warship's weapons tests and its integrated operations system, saying the navy's modernization and move toward nuclear-capable capabilities are proceeding as planned. He instructed officials to carry out performance tests in October, KCNA said. Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have worsened in recent years as Kim accelerated his military nuclear program and deepened alignment with Moscow following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. His government has repeatedly dismissed calls by Washington and Seoul to revive negotiations aimed at winding down his nuclear and missile programs, which derailed in 2019 following a collapsed summit with U.S. President Donald Trump during his first term. In his latest message to Pyongyang on Friday, Lee, who took office in June, said he would seek to restore a 2018-inter-Korean military agreement designed to reduce border tensions and called for North Korea to respond to the South's efforts to rebuild trust and revive talks. The 2018 military agreement, reached during a brief period of diplomacy between the Koreas, created buffer zones on land and sea and no-fly zones above the border to prevent clashes. But South Korea suspended the deal in 2024, citing tensions over North Korea's launches of trash-laden balloons toward the South, and moved to resume front line military activities and propaganda campaigns. The step came after North Korea had already declared it would no longer abide by the agreement.
