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Ammon
05-03-2025
- Ammon
Rescuers find Philippine fighter jet's wreckage and the bodies of 2 pilots deployed to fight rebels
Ammon News - Rescuers found the wreckage of a Philippine fighter jet and the bodies of its two pilots on Wednesday in a mountainous region in the country's south where they had been deployed on a nighttime mission to fight communist guerrillas, military officials said. The FA-50 jet lost communication during the combat mission with other air force aircraft after midnight Tuesday before reaching a target area in southern Bukidnon province. The other aircraft were able to return safely to an air base in central Cebu province after carrying out assaults, military officials said. The FA-50 jet was deployed with other air force aircraft to provide combat support to troops battling dozens of suspected New People's Army guerrillas near Cabanglasan town in Bukidnon, the military said. 'It was a total wreck,' regional military commander Lt. Gen. Luis Rex Bergante said of the fighter jet's wreckage, which he said was found by Filipino special forces in a jungle on Mount Kalatungan in Bukidnon. 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. 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. AP
Arab Times
05-03-2025
- Arab Times
Rescuers find Philippine fighter jet's wreckage and bodies of 2 pilots deployed to fight rebels
MANILA, Philippines, March 5, (AP): Rescuers found the wreckage of a Philippine fighter jet and the bodies of its two pilots on Wednesday in a mountainous region in the country's south where they had been deployed on a nighttime mission to fight communist guerrillas, military officials said. The FA-50 jet lost communication during the combat mission with other air force aircraft after midnight Tuesday before reaching a target area in southern Bukidnon province. The other aircraft were able to return safely to an air base in central Cebu province after carrying out assaults, military officials said. The FA-50 jet was deployed with other air force aircraft to provide combat support to troops battling dozens of suspected New People's Army guerrillas near Cabanglasan town in Bukidnon, the military said. "It was a total wreck,' regional military commander Lt Gen Luis Rex Bergante said of the fighter jet's wreckage, which he said was found by Filipino special forces in a jungle on Mount Kalatungan in Bukidnon. 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. 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.
Arab News
05-03-2025
- Arab News
Philippine fighter jet wreckage, bodies of crew found
MANILA: Philippine rescuers on Wednesday found the wreckage of a fighter jet and the bodies of two crewmen sent to combat communist rebels in a mountainous region of the country's south. The FA-50 fighter jet had gone missing a day earlier while on a mission to provide air support for troops fighting guerrillas in northern Mindanao. Lt. Gen. Luis Rex Bergante, commander of Eastern Mindanao Command, said the two crewmen had been found inside the wreckage. 'The bodies were found inside the aircraft. There was an attempt to open a parachute and eject,' he said. 'The aircraft was a total wreck. The aircraft smashed through the trees in the mountain.' Lt. Col. Francisco Garello of the 4th Infantry Division said the wreckage of the missing jet was found on Mount Kalatungan. Located in Mindanao's Bukidnon province, the 2,880-meter Kalatungan is the fifth-tallest mountain in the Philippines. Bergante said bringing the servicemen's remains down the mountainside was now the top priority. In a statement, the air force said it had temporarily 'grounded its FA-50 fleet' and would 'ensure a thorough investigation into the accident,' the cause of which remains unknown. The crashed jet was one of a dozen FA-50s the Philippines purchased from South Korea in the past decade. Garello said early Wednesday that the search had been suspended overnight due to the danger of 'communist groups' believed to be operating in the area. On Tuesday, he said his division had called in air support during a firefight with the New People's Army, a long-running Maoist insurgency now believed to have fewer than 2,000 fighters. The jets flew out of Mactan-Benito Ebuen Air Base, which shares a runway with the airport in Cebu, the Philippines' second-largest city. Air force spokeswoman Col. Consuelo Castillo told reporters Tuesday it was the 'first major incident' involving its squadron of FA-50s, which have been used in exercises over the disputed South China Sea. The FA-50s have been flown in joint air patrols with treaty ally the United States over contested areas of the South China Sea, where China and the Philippines have been involved in increasingly tense confrontations. On Wednesday, Castillo said the air force hoped the investigation would be 'done thoroughly but swift enough for us not to sacrifice our operational readiness' given the fighters' key role in maritime patrols. She also said the air force has proposed purchasing 12 more FA-50s, a request under consideration at the Department of National Defense. There have been a number of deadly crashes involving Philippine military aircraft in recent years. Two navy pilots were killed last April when their Robinson R22 helicopter crashed near a market south of the capital Manila during a training flight. Two PAF pilots were killed in January 2023 when their Marchetti SF260 turboprop plane crashed into a rice field.
Boston Globe
05-03-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Philippine forces find wreckage of missing fighter jet and the bodies of its 2 pilots
'It was a total wreck,' regional military commander Lt. Gen. Luis Rex Bergante said of the fighter jet's wreckage, which he said was found by Filipino special forces in a jungle on Mount Kalatungan in Bukidnon. 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. Advertisement 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. Advertisement 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.
Gulf Today
05-03-2025
- General
- Gulf Today
Philippine fighter jet wreckage, bodies of crew found
Philippine rescuers found the wreckage of a missing FA-50 fighter jet and the bodies of its two crew members Wednesday in a mountainous region of the country's south. The jet had gone missing a day earlier while on a mission to provide air support for troops fighting communist rebels in northern Mindanao. Lieutenant General Luis Rex Bergante, commander of Eastern Mindanao Command, told AFP the two crewmen had been found inside the wreckage. "The bodies were found inside the aircraft. There was an attempt to open a parachute and eject," he said. "The aircraft was a total wreck. The aircraft smashed through the trees in the mountain." Lieutenant Colonel Francisco Garello of the 4th Infantry Division told AFP the wreckage of the missing fighter jet was found on Mount Kalatungan. Located in Mindanao's Bukidnon province, the 2,880-metre (9,450 feet) Kalatungan is the fifth-tallest mountain in the Philippines. Bergante said bringing the servicemen's remains down the mountainside was now the top priority. The cause of the crash was under investigation, he added. Dangerous terrain Garello said earlier Wednesday that the search had been suspended overnight due to the danger of "communist groups" believed to be operating in the area. He said Tuesday that his division had called in air support during a firefight with the New People's Army, a long-running Maoist insurgency now believed to have fewer than 2,000 fighters. The fighters flew out of Mactan-Benito Ebuen Air Base, which shares a runway with the airport in Cebu, the Philippines' second-largest city. Air force spokeswoman Colonel Consuelo Castillo told reporters it was the "first major incident involving" its squadron of FA-50s, which have been used in exercises over the disputed South China Sea. The Philippines has a dozen FA-50 jet fighters that it purchased from South Korea in the past decade. The fighters have participated in joint air patrols with treaty ally the United States over contested areas of the South China Sea, where China and the Philippines have been involved in increasingly tense confrontations. Philippine outlet the Inquirer reported in January that the government was considering purchasing 12 more FA-50s. There have been a number of deadly crashes involving Philippine military aircraft in recent years. Two navy pilots were killed last April when their Robinson R22 helicopter crashed near a market south of the capital Manila during a training flight. Two PAF pilots were killed in January 2023 when their Marchetti SF260 turboprop plane crashed into a rice field. Agence France-Presse
