The Philippine Air Force (PAF) will be receiving 32 more aircraft in the next two years as part of its modernization program, its spokesman said Sunday.

Col. Maynard Mariano told dzBB said that before President Rodrigo Duterte stepped down from his post, he approved a request by the PAF to procure 32 aircraft not only for military purposes but to transport vital supplies.

“We are looking into multi-purpose equipment. First and foremost, most of this equipment are Black Hawk utility helicopters. So, we really need these utility helicopters when it comes to disaster preparedness,” Mariano said.

“Aside from that we have seen how the Black Hawk has been used during the COVID-19 pandemic. And there will be more coming in. There will be about 32 units that the former president had signed. And it will be arriving in a year or two years’ time,” he added.

Mariano said the PAF's inventory of aircraft is not enough to cover the whole country.

“We’re not limited but we’re almost there. But we still need a lot of equipment. (For) example, our radar,” he said.

More radar equipment would be used to monitor air space and weather.

He also said that the Philippines would be acquiring more transport aircraft, including C-310s and C-295s .

“We would be having more C-130 that will be coming in the next three years to five years... the C-295 we really need to use in the faraway locations, in short airfields and in isolated places with short airfields,” Mariano said.

“We have one C130 right now operational. We have one (under) maintenance, and we are waiting for one to be coming in country by the end of the year. We also have five C-295, aside from the smaller plane which is C-212i. We have five units of that,” he added.

He said more transport planes were needed so that when a calamity strikes, they could “be there faster” and “deliver the much-needed services and help.”

Mariano said the PAF is transitioning from the second phase of its upgrade project, or Horizon 2, to its third phase which is Horizon 3.

“It’s not just equipment that we’re looking into. We’re also looking into... upgrading the skills of the technology transfer, the equipment from the manufacturer that we acquire, we’re really going to bring it to our country,” he said.

Mariano for ground-based air defense system, there will be technology transfer coming in from Israel and we’re building facilities, also in-country, so that we can address the maintenance of this equipment,” added.

Mariano said that the modernization program will also include improving the recruitment of maintenance personnel.

“We are hiring really qualified individuals. When we say qualified individual, we’re looking right now into engineers, I.T. professionals to be coming into the Air Force. Those that really have the skills and competencies that do not need a lot of training and orientation when it comes to the maintenance and upkeep of the equipment,” he said.

Mariano said the PAF is about to finish building a runway on Pag-asa island.

“When this is done, we will have a nice runway on Pag-asa. We can be there 24/7, we can land 24/7, we can support our troops in the area even when there is bad weather,” Mariano said. Jaspearl Tan/DMS