The Philippine Air Force (PAF) aircraft are in dire straits with more than three-quarters of the jets being unfit to fly, PAF spokesman Miguel Ernesto Okol has said.

The PAF is dependent on aging OV-10 jets to patrol the country’s airspace and territorial waters, including disputed South China Sea areas claimed by several other countries.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

The PAF operates 393 aircraft of which only 91 are ‘fully mission capable’, while the last fighter planes were decommissioned in 2005.

The PAF operates only one C-5 military transport aircraft for its 17,000 members, while two more are scheduled for procurement later this year or next year.

Agence France-Presse also quoted the Commission on Audit (COA) report as saying, “Considering this abject state of its air assets, which are mostly aging, the Philippine Air Force is ill equipped to be operationally responsive to national security.”

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Airforce Technology Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Airforce Technology Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.


Excellence in Action
Discover how Virtualitics is transforming mission readiness with explainable AI, predictive maintenance, and data-driven decision intelligence across the U.S. Department of Defense through its AI-powered Integrated Readiness Optimization suite, for which it has won the Innovation and Business Expansion awards.

Discover the Impact