The Philippine Air Force (PAF) has intensified search operations for the FA-50PH fighter jet that went missing during a tactical night operation early Tuesday, with authorities now focusing efforts on a mountainous area in Bukidnon province.
According to Colonel Maria Consuelo Castillo, PAF spokesperson, the missing aircraft was carrying two pilots and was part of a squadron providing air support to ground troops engaged in combat operations against New People’s Army (NPA) insurgents.
“We are hopeful that we will still be able to recover. We are more concerned about the safety of the aircrew right now. And we are still very optimistic that they are safe,” Castillo said during a press briefing, as reported by GMA Integrated News.
Lieutenant General Luis Rex Bergante, Commander of the Eastern Mindanao Command, confirmed that a search and rescue team has been dispatched to Mt. Kalatungan in Bukidnon, which is being considered as a probable crash site for the missing aircraft.
AviationUpdatesPH.com has observed publicly available flight tracking data showing an unidentified aircraft circling over the vicinity of the search area. The aircraft may potentially be N7700, which some aviation sources have previously identified as a specially modified Bombardier Challenger 605 reportedly designed for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) operations.
However, this information cannot be independently verified at this time, and no official statement has been made regarding the involvement of this or any similar aircraft in the search operations. PAF earlier said it has dispatched all available assets to aid the search.
Lieutenant-Colonel Francisco Garello of the 4th Infantry Division told AFP that air support had been called in overnight during a firefight with the NPA in a mountainous area.
“There was a firefight between the 403rd Infantry Brigade (Philippine Army) and they made a request for air support, so the air force supported the encounter,” he explained.
Unverified reports have emerged suggesting that the two pilots may have survived. According to GMA Integrated News, some sources indicate that traces of the pilots’ emergency beacons were detected, fueling hope of their survival, though officials have yet to confirm these reports.
The pilots are equipped with personal locator beacons, but Colonel Castillo declined to confirm whether signals were being received from these devices during the press briefing.
The FA-50 fighter jets, acquired from South Korea’s Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. under an PHP18.9 billion contract, have been part of the military’s modernization program. The Philippines has acquired 12 of these aircraft since 2015 and plans to purchase 12 more.
This incident marks the first major incident involving the PAF’s fleet of FA-50 fighter jets, which have previously been deployed in anti-insurgency operations, major national ceremonies, and patrols over the disputed South China Sea.
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