Philippine CAS aircraft bid edges forward
The ongoing and bloody battle to recapture the town of Marawi from Islamic militants of the Maute group in Mindanao is illustrating the seriousness of delays in Philippine Air Force (PAF) efforts to acquire six new close air support (CAS) aircraft.
Efforts to select a CAS platform have been tarrying for four years with failures to advance beyond pre-bidding on three previous occasions. However, on 7 June one contender was declared sole compliant bidder.
A pre-bid conference held last month witnessed three vendors attending: Embraer proffering the EMB 314 Super Tucano, Beechcraft with its AT-6B Texan II Wolverine and
Already have an account? Log in
Want to keep reading this article?
More from Defence Notes
-
How Canada plans to “seize” the opportunity to increase investments in defence
The Canadian Department of National Defence has been increasing efforts to accelerate the acquisition of new equipment and modernise its in-service inventory.
-
Palantir and Boeing partner up to bring AI to defence manufacturing
The partnership with the US airframer will see Palantir’s AI software leveraged to help streamline data analytics across Boeing’s 12 factories on defence and classified programmes.
-
DroneShield to double its US footprint to meet growing demand for counter-UxS capabilities
DroneShield disclosed to Shephard its plans to increase its workforce and manufacturing capacities while strengthening partnerships with US suppliers.
-
Singapore’s DSTA seeks wider partnerships to advance robotics and AI capabilities
The technology organisation is expecting a significant rise in the number of staff working across robotics and digital solutions as it becomes more of a focal point.
-
Modular and attritable equipment must be a priority: US military
Senior officers and representatives from the US Army, US Air Force and US Navy emphasised the need to expedite acquisition projects for systems and platforms that are more modular. They also highlighted that the loss of equipment is acceptable.