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Priam Nepomuceno
MANILA – Around eight Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) aircraft from its "Black Eagles" Team and four from the Philippine Air Force (PAF) will be taking part in the Feb. 23 scheduled "Friendship Flight" which aims to boost interoperability between the two services and highlights the growing defense ties between the two nations.
"Based on initial coordinations, (participating aircraft) for the ROKAF are eight TA-50s (seven in arrowhead formation (with) one photo ship," PAF spokesperson Col. Ma. Christina Basco told the Philippine News Agency Thursday.
In Air Force parlance, a photo ship is the aircraft tasked to film or video an aerial formation conducting drills or exercises. And for the PAF, Basco said four FA-50PHs will be deployed for this "Friendship Flight."
"Four FA-50PHs, three in arrowhead formation: one photo ship," she added.
In a Wednesday advisory, the PAF said the "Black Eagles" Team, which is flying the TA-50s, will perform the flight with Filipinos' FA-50PHs over Clark Air Base, Angeles City, Pampanga.
"The ROKAF 'Black Eagles' Team intends to conduct a 'Friendship Flight' with PAF FA-50PH aircraft on 23 February 2026," it added.
Incidentally, the T-50s being used by the "Black Eagles" are the aerobatic version of the Mach 1.5 capable FA-50PHs being used by the PAF as its fighter jets.
Both aircraft are manufactured by the Korea Aerospace Industries where the PAF sourced its initial 12 FA-50PHs and the second batch of 12 more capable FA-50s.
The "Black Eagles," also known as the 53rd Air Demonstration Group, was formed on Dec. 12, 1994, and initially flew six Cessna A-37B "Dragonfly" aircraft.
The team disbanded temporarily after the 2007 Seoul Air Show and reformed upon the arrival of their new T-50B planes in 2010. (PNA)
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