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PAF F-5 Fleet; Status / Retirement
Topic Started: Jul 13 2004, 11:47 AM (12,205 Views)
pantherscout78
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Guys i read this in the Philippine Star dated September 29, 2005 in the The Nation column.

S-211 will replace their role as Air Defense Interceptor.

Well, thats it I'm pissed off :headbang:


Thank u 'Freedom Fighters" for the service you have been rendered to this Republic. :salute:



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Skychaser
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Yep, looks like it's official...

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PAF to retire F-5 fleet
By Ding Cervantes
The Philippine Star 09/29/2005

FLORIDABLANCA, Pampanga — Goodbye, "Freedom Fighters."

The Air Defense Wing of the Philippine Air Force at Basa Air Base here is retiring this Saturday the remaining fleet of F-5 supersonic jet fighter-bombers, referred to as "Freedom Fighters," in ceremonies befitting their historic 40-year role in the country’s air defense.

The "Freedom Fighters" were also flown by the Blue Diamond aerobatics team, captivating the public in spectacular air shows during public events, including presidential inaugurations, since they were first acquired by the government from the United States on Aug. 27, 1965 under the Philippine-US military agreement. Their last air show was in 2002 at the Clark special economic zone.

Capt. Ephraim Suyom, spokesman of the Air Defense Wing, said the decommissioning rites will be held at the 431st maintenance hanger at Basa Air Base, with Lt. Gen. Jose Reyes, Air Force chief, as guest of honor.

Highlighting the ceremonies will be the final taxiing and engine shutdown of F-5 No. 191 by Brig. Gen. Manuel Natividad, commander of the Air Defense Wing, Suyon said.

To be decommissioned are 10 F-5s, the only ones which have remained operational out of the 37 acquired by the government from the US from 1965 to 1998, he said.

Suyom said Philippine authorities agreed to decommission the F-5s due to difficulties in maintaining the single-seater supersonic aircraft.

He said the "freedom fighters" were involved in "interceptor and air reconnaissance missions" over the disputed Kalayaan group of islands and the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea.

Though primarily fighter aircraft, Suyom said the F-5s were also used in the campaigns against the Moro National Liberation Front, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Abu Sayyaf as well as in counter-insurgency operations in Luzon and the Visayas.

Suyom added that the F-5s also played a historic role in thwarting the coup d’etat against the administration of former President Corazon Aquino in December 1989.

"The F-5s neutralized the military rebels by bombing Sangley Point in Cavite, which (they) used as a staging area for their T-28 attack planes," he said.

Suyom recalled that the entire fleet of "Freedom Fighters" was grounded when an F-5 crashed during the Philippine-US joint military exercises on May 2, 2001, although "recovery efforts" were done to make them operational again.

These efforts, however, did not accomplish anything. Suyom said, "Due to changing national priorities, resources were channeled to support internal security operations, thereby relegating external defense requirements, such as the F-5 recovery program, to the realm of secondary importance."

"As a result, the F-5 never flew again and was later placed on mothball status," he said.

Suyom said the subsonic Augusta AS-211 jet trainer and light attack aircraft will fill in the gap with the F-5s’ decommissioning "until the real fighter aircraft arrive."

While the F-5 can carry a bomb and ammunition load of up to 6,000 pounds, the AS-211 can carry up to only 2,000 pounds. — With Jaime Laude

-------------------

Well, they served PAF well for 40 years. A retirement well earned. :salute:

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Angkilikin ang sariling atin. Patronize your own.
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datu
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This just sums up the PAF right here.

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....





I just got to say Damnit.
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---Retiring them had to come sometime however, just get it over with now than later, saves up funds that way.


"F*ck it, Dude. Let's go bowling."
---The Big Lebowski
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Tora^2
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:armycry: The F5 had served the PAF so well serving from the last months of Cong Dadong's term up until the administration of his own daughter, Gloria. It served not only to keep China, our neighbors and even the Soviets off our yard but fought so that our Republic may survive. Aside from recon and strike missions against Rebels, its finest hour was on the Dec 3, 1989 when Democracy was on the brink of being stomped by a Military Junta. A flight of F5s led by Maj. Danilo Atienza turned the tide for Government forces when it took away from the RAM SFP YOU the ability to reign terror from the sky by blasting their Tora Toras at the cost of Atienza's life.

F5s were not relieved of their posts not only because we can't afford anything else. They were the best fighters for the PAF. They may not have the range or the firepower of F4 Phantoms and F105 Thunderchiefs that were its contemporaries. However, they were very nimble machines that can fly circles around F4s. They can do attack, air combat and recon missions and saved our country billions in maintenance costs.

Nowadays there are hardly any 3rd or 4th gen fighter that can replace the simple and rugged F5s. It will be sorely missed by those flew and kept them flying.

Farewell

:armyneutral: HUMANDA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:salute: TANGHAL `TA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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JOIN UP!
POWER UP!
DO MORE MORE WITH LESS!
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pantherscout78
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Tora^2
Sep 29 2005, 03:41 PM
:armycry: The F5 had served the PAF so well serving from the last months of Cong Dadong's term up until the administration of his own daughter, Gloria. It served not only to keep China, our neighbors and even the Soviets off our yard but fought so that our Republic may survive. Aside from recon and strike missions against Rebels, its finest hour was on the Dec 3, 1989 when Democracy was on the brink of being stomped by a Military Junta. A flight of F5s led by Maj. Danilo Atienza turned the tide for Government forces when it took away from the RAM SFP YOU the ability to reign terror from the sky by blasting their Tora Toras at the cost of Atienza's life.

F5s were not relieved of their posts not only because we can't afford anything else. They were the best fighters for the PAF. They may not have the range or the firepower of F4 Phantoms and F105 Thunderchiefs that were its contemporaries. However, they were very nimble machines that can fly circles around F4s. They can do attack, air combat and recon missions and saved our country billions in maintenance costs.

Nowadays there are hardly any 3rd or 4th gen fighter that can replace the simple and rugged F5s. It will be sorely missed by those flew and kept them flying.

Farewell

:armyneutral: HUMANDA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:salute: TANGHAL `TA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mabigat sa loob nang mabasa ko sa newspaper kanina..

When I was a 9 yrs old, my father bring me to manila. There was no direct flight from our place to manila. Dadaan muna ng Cebu tapos Manila. There I saw our F-5 doing some practice run... Those were the glory days of "Freedom Fighters".

Bon Voyage to the Defenders of Freedom.. :armycry:

:salute:
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SigP229
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Quote:
 


Philippines to decommission last fighter jet
09/29 3:32:52 PM

MANILA (AFP) - The Philippines will decommission the last of its 40-year-old F-5 fighter jets, leaving the country without any aerial defense aircraft, an air force spokesman said Thursday.

Ceremonies for the decommissioning of the US-made "Freedom Fighter" jets will be held in Basa airbase on Saturday, marking the last use of these aircraft.

Only about five F-5s are still operational, Major Augusto dela Pena said.

Because of lack of funds, "for the next six years, acquisition of new fighters are not on the drawing board," said dela Pena.

In the meantime, the air force will use about five Italian-made S211 trainer jets to serve as makeshift air defense aircraft even though they are not designed or equipped to be fighters, dela Pena added.

"These are the trade-offs we have to accept because of our defense priorities," he said, remarking that internal security was the biggest concern of the Philippine military.

The Philippines is battling both communist guerrillas in the hinterlands as well as various Muslim extremist groups in the south.

The Philippines acquired about 37 F-5 jets from its main ally, the United States, in 1965. But many of the jets were later grounded, and the remaining aircraft are too expensive to maintain and repair, the major said.

In the past decade, several F-5s were provided second-hand from South Korea but these have also become too old to continue flying.



This also from the Philippine Star online edition. This line in the article pretty much sums up the future of fighters for the PAF.

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Because of lack of funds, "for the next six years, acquisition of new fighters are not on the drawing board," said dela Pena.
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el_commandante
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Goodbye my beloved F5, I feel like I have lost a child of my own
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jammerjamesky
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:armycry:

:rifle:

:snipemo:


Good old days are gun.

:salute:

Good bye Freedom Fighter
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GKB02
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the F-5's were the first jet fighters i have seen in my kiddy days. being a kid dreaming to become a "fighter pilot" someday.
seeing them for the first and last time performing thier aerial maneuvers in the skies over naga city really made me jump to my feet and made me drop my jaws in awe by the beauty of those flying machines.. well those were the days.. :armycry:
the freedom fighters have done thier mission, protecting the freedom of the Filipino people :salute:
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jammerjamesky
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SHOPPING CENTER FOR BIRDS

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PILI NA LANG .....................................Ano gusto ipalit sa F-5 . Madami dito puro excess airforce Hardware
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