The Philippines air force is considering purchasing secondhand Northrop F-5s from Taiwan to boost its fighter strength. The country's president Joseph Estrada says any such purchase could not be done directly, to avoid damaging relations with mainland China. Instead, the procurement would have to go through an intermediary.
"It is possible, if Taiwan will first return the jets to the US Government, we can buy the jets from the USA," says Estrada. Negotiations on such a purchase began during the administration of former Philippines president Fidel Ramos.
The Philippines has a small fighter force consisting of eight F-5As and two twin-seat F-5Bs, acquired in 1997 from South Korea for a nominal sum and due for replacement.
The country's mid-1990s initiative to increase defence spending from having had one of the smallest defence budgets in the region was stymied by the 1997 Asian economic crash.
The Philippine air force had sought 12 new fighters with a further 12 options, considering types such as the Dassault Mirage 2000-5, Boeing F/A-18C/D, Lockheed Martin F-16C/D, IAI Kfir 2000, MAPO MiG-29 and Saab/British Aerospace Gripen as contenders for the programme. Taiwan's air force has 244 F-5Es, as well as 59 F-5Fs and eight RF-5E reconnaissance aircraft.
Source: Flight International
