The Philippine Air Force in 2026: Every Aircraft It Flies, and the Fighter It Still Can’t Afford

The Philippine Air Force (PAF) has exactly one type of jet fighter: 11 Korean-built FA-50PH Fighting Eagles. Everything else it flies is a turboprop, a transport or a helicopter, and its biggest fleet by far is 47 S-70i Black Hawks.

FlightGlobal’s World Air Forces 2026 directory, built on Cirium data from October 2025, counted 183 active PAF aircraft. Black Hawk deliveries since then have pushed that toward 200, while two SF-260 trainers lost in a crash at Fernando Air Base on October 23, 2026, grounded the whole trainer fleet again.

This guide ranks every type the PAF flies by its weight in Philippine air power as of October 2026, from the FA-50PH down to the trainers. It also covers the multirole fighter Manila has been trying to buy since 2024.

Rank	Aircraft	Role	Fleet	On order
1	FA-50PH Fighting Eagle	Light fighter	11	12 FA-50 Block 70, from 2028
2	A-29B Super Tucano	Light attack	6	None confirmed
3	T129B ATAK	Attack helicopter	6	None
4	AW109E Power and MD 520MG	Armed helicopters	8 AW109E, 24 MD 520MG	None
5	S-70i Black Hawk	Combat utility helicopter	47	Order completed August 2026
6	C-130 Hercules	Tactical airlifter	5 C-130B/H/T	3 C-130J-30
7	C295 and NC212i	Medium and light transport	5 C295, 2 NC212i	6 NC212i
8	ATR 72MP, C295 MPA, Cessna 208B	Maritime patrol and surveillance	2 ATR 72, 1 C295, 3 Cessna 208	None
9	Bell 205, Bell 412, S-76, W-3, UH-1	Utility and search and rescue	8 Bell 205, 9 Bell 412, 9 S-76, 5 W-3, 23 UH-1 listed	6 Bell 412EPX
10	SF-260 and S-211	Trainers	About 14 SF-260 (grounded), 3 S-211	None

1. FA-50PH Fighting Eagle: The Only Jet Fighter It Has

The Department of National Defense signed for 12 KAI FA-50 Fighting Eagle jets on March 28, 2014, for 18.9 billion pesos ($421 million). Deliveries began in November 2015, and all 12 had arrived by May 31, 2017.

The FA-50PH is a light fighter built on South Korea’s T-50 supersonic trainer, with a top speed of Mach 1.5. It flew its first combat sorties on January 26, 2017, against militant hideouts in Butig, Lanao del Sur, and joined the air strikes over Marawi that May.

The fleet dropped to 11 on March 4, 2025, when an FA-50PH on a night mission against communist rebels crashed on Mount Kalatungan in Bukidnon, killing both pilots aboard. It had been flying air strikes in support of Army troops, and the PAF later said the crash was not caused by a mechanical failure.

The jets are being upgraded. Asian Military Review reports a $64.5 million KAI contract from December 2025 for a first upgrade lot, and four FA-50PHs from the 5th Fighter Wing flew counter-air missions at Exercise Pitch Black 2026 in Australia.

More are coming. Manila signed for 12 FA-50 Block 70 jets on June 3, 2025, a deal worth more than $700 million that adds an AESA radar and aerial refueling. The PAF said in June 2026 that the first pair is due in 2028 and the last by 2030.

It ranks first because nothing else in the inventory can intercept a jet. Next to the fighters flown by its neighbors, covered in our guides to the Taiwan Air Force and the Chinese Air Force, it is a light fighter doing a heavy fighter’s job.

2. A-29B Super Tucano: The Counterinsurgency Workhorse

The PAF placed a firm order for six Embraer A-29 Super Tucano turboprops in November 2017, after a public tender. Embraer handed all six over at Clark on October 14, 2020.

They fly with the 15th Strike Wing for close air support, light attack, surveillance and advanced training, and they can work from rough, unpaved strips. They now carry the fixed-wing light attack role alone: FlightGlobal’s 2026 directory lists the PAF’s OV-10 Broncos among the region’s retirements.

The A-29 ranks second because the PAF’s daily war is against insurgents, not air forces. A slow turboprop that can loiter over a jungle ridge with guns and bombs is more useful there than a jet.

3. T129B ATAK: The Turkish Attack Helicopter

The Philippines ordered six Turkish Aerospace T129B ATAK attack helicopters in July 2020 for about $269 million. The first two arrived in March 2022 aboard two Turkish Air Force A400Ms, and the last two were delivered on May 17, 2024.

The deal took years because the T129’s American-made CTS800 engines needed US export approval, which came in May 2021. The helicopters fly with the 15th Strike Wing on reconnaissance, counterinsurgency and combat support missions.

It ranks above the older armed helicopters because it was designed as a gunship from the start, with a tandem cockpit and twin engines.

4. AW109E Power and MD 520MG: The Armed Light Helicopters

Before the T129 arrived, close support from the air came from light helicopters. Eight Leonardo AW109E Power helicopters were commissioned in August 2015, and FlightGlobal counts 24 MD 500-series MD 520MGs.

Both are still used for ground support and counterinsurgency. The MD 520MG fleet is the PAF’s second-largest by number, which tells you where the service spends its flying hours: low, over the provinces, in support of troops.

5. S-70i Black Hawk: The Biggest Fleet in the Air Force

The Sikorsky S-70i Black Hawk is the backbone of the PAF. The first contract, signed in April 2019, bought 16, delivered from Poland’s PZL Mielec between November 2020 and November 2021. One of them later crashed.

A second order for 32 more followed, worth 31.8 billion pesos ($624 million). Deliveries ran from June 2024, and the final seven were handed over at Villamor Air Base on August 26, 2026, bringing the fleet to 47.

AeroTime reports that makes the Philippines the world’s largest S-70i operator. The helicopters fly with the 205th Tactical Helicopter Wing, moving troops and responding to disasters, and some are going to Palawan, which faces the South China Sea.

Black Hawks rank fifth only because they carry troops rather than weapons. Measured by what the PAF does every week, from typhoon relief to troop lifts, no aircraft matters more.

6. C-130 Hercules: Old Airlifters, New Ones Due

The PAF has flown the Hercules since the early 1970s, and FlightGlobal counts five in service across three generations: C-130B, C-130H and C-130T. They move troops and relief cargo in bulk between the islands.

Three new C-130J-30 Super Hercules were bought directly from Lockheed Martin, a deal announced on October 19, 2023. Manila’s schedule had them arriving in July 2026, October 2026 and January 2027, but we found no report of a delivery as of late October 2026.

7. C295 and NC212i: The Medium and Light Transports

FlightGlobal counts five Airbus C295 transports in PAF service, plus one more set up for maritime patrol. They carry the loads too big for a helicopter and too small to be worth a Hercules.

Below them sit two Indonesian-built NC212i light transports, with six more on order, three GAF Nomads and two Turbo Commanders. A single F27 and a handful of VIP jets complete the transport fleet.

8. ATR 72MP and Cessna 208B: Eyes Over the South China Sea

Watching the sea is a job that has grown fast. FlightGlobal lists two ATR 72 maritime patrol aircraft, one C295 patrol aircraft and three Cessna 208 reconnaissance planes in PAF service.

They are joined by the Hermes 900 and Hermes 450 drones of the 3031st Unmanned Aerial Reconnaissance Squadron. Together they watch the waters Manila calls the West Philippine Sea, where Philippine and Chinese claims overlap.

9. Bell 205, Bell 412, S-76, W-3 and the Huey: The Utility Helicopters

FlightGlobal counts eight Bell 205s, seven Bell 212/412s, nine S-76s and five PZL W-3 Sokols. On May 19, 2026, the PAF inducted the first two of eight new Bell 412EPX helicopters, with all eight due by the end of 2027.

The S-76 fleet was grounded in 2020 after a crash that killed four, and in January 2026 the 505th Search and Rescue Group returned a rebuilt S-76A to service. FlightGlobal still lists 23 UH-1 Hueys, although Asian Military Review reports the UH-1H fleet was retired after a run of accidents in 2019 and 2020.

These are the helicopters the Black Hawks were bought to replace. Expect this group to shrink as the Bell 412EPX deliveries finish.

10. SF-260 and S-211: The Trainers, Grounded Again

Every PAF pilot starts on the SF-260, an Italian two-seat piston trainer. It has been a hard year for the type.

On May 20, 2026, an SF-260 on a navigation flight from Fernando Air Base to Baguio crashed in Tuba, Benguet, killing both pilots. The PAF grounded the remaining 16 pending investigation.

Then, at 3:51 p.m. on October 23, 2026, two SF-260s went down inside the perimeter of Fernando Air Base in Lipa City, Batangas, killing four pilots. The whole fleet, about 14 aircraft if no others were lost, was grounded again, and the cause has not been announced.

Three S-211 jet trainers, the type that stood in for fighters after 2005, are still listed. With basic training stopped twice in six months, a new trainer is now one of the PAF’s most urgent needs.

The Multirole Fighter It Still Hasn’t Bought

The PAF has wanted a real multirole fighter for years. On August 29, 2024, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro told Congress Manila was seeking offers for 40 jets, paid in installments, and on April 1, 2025, the US approved a possible sale of 20 F-16 Block 70/72s, 16 single-seat and four two-seat, for an estimated $5.58 billion.

Manila did not sign. In July 2026, Teodoro said five suppliers were in the running, BusinessMirror named the KF-21, F-16V, Rafale, Eurofighter and Gripen, and the budget was pegged at 60 billion to 100 billion pesos.

He also wants the fighters bought as a package with airborne early warning aircraft and aerial tankers, which adds considerably to the cost. Funding, not the choice of jet, is what has held the program up.

For now, the PAF is a counterinsurgency and disaster-relief air force facing a maritime standoff with China. How it measures up to its neighbors is covered in our ranking of the best air forces in the world.

FAQ

Does the Philippines have fighter jets?

Yes, but only one type. The Philippine Air Force flies 11 KAI FA-50PH Fighting Eagle light fighters, the survivors of 12 delivered between 2015 and 2017. Twelve more FA-50 Block 70 jets were ordered in June 2025, with the first due in 2028.

Does the Philippines have the F-35?

No. The Philippines has no F-35s and no F-35 order. Its multirole fighter shortlist in 2026 covered the Gripen, F-16V, KF-21, Rafale and Eurofighter Typhoon.

Does the Philippines have the F-22 Raptor?

No. The F-22 Raptor has never been exported, so only the US Air Force flies it. The Philippine Air Force’s only jet fighter is the FA-50PH.

Does the Philippines have F-16s?

Not yet. The US approved a possible sale of 20 F-16 Block 70/72 jets for an estimated $5.58 billion on April 1, 2025, but Manila never signed, and in July 2026 the F-16V was one of five candidates still being weighed.

How many aircraft does the Philippine Air Force have?

FlightGlobal’s World Air Forces 2026 directory counted 183 active Philippine Air Force aircraft in October 2025 data. The arrival of 16 more S-70i Black Hawks since then pushes the total toward 200, most of them helicopters.

What is the most advanced aircraft in the Philippine Air Force?

The FA-50PH Fighting Eagle, a Mach 1.5 light fighter built by Korea Aerospace Industries. The 12 FA-50 Block 70 jets on order will be more capable still, with an AESA radar and aerial refueling.

How many Black Hawks does the Philippine Air Force have?

47. The PAF bought 16 S-70i Black Hawks in 2019, lost one in 2021, and took the last of 32 more on August 26, 2026, making it the world’s largest S-70i operator according to AeroTime.

When was the Philippine Air Force founded?

The Philippine Air Force became a separate service on July 1, 1947. It is headquartered at Colonel Jesus Villamor Air Base in Pasay City.