The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said the Lockheed C-130 Hercules cargo plane which crashed in Patikul, Sulu on July 4 is still capable of flying 11,000 hours before its next maintenance period, belying reports that it was worn out.
“Claims that it is worn-out are not true. Even if it is not brand-new, it still has more than 11,000 flying hours before its maintenance,” AFP spokesperson Marine Maj. Gen. Edgard Arevalo said in an interview.
The C-130H with tail number 5125 was one of the two Hercules cargo transport planes acquired through a grant from the US government that arrived in the country in January.
“A flight from Manila to Zamboanga will not even reach three hours. That’s how long the aircraft’s remaining flying hours are. It is also not true that the aircraft is not airworthy. No pilot will fly an aircraft that is not airworthy. They will not risk their lives for that,” Arevalo said.
Meanwhile, Arevalo, said a Philippine Air Force C-130 which is undergoing maintenance in Portugal is expected to return to the country within the month.
However, he said the aircraft will not be placed in operational status until the results of the investigation on the recent crash are completed.
The PAF earlier grounded its remaining C-130 planes following the mishap which claimed the lives of 49 military personnel and three civilians, aside from injuring 47 troops and four other civilians.
Also on Thursday, the United States in Manila said the Armed Forces of the Philippines received P48.5 million worth of weapons and munitions from America.
The weapons were funded by a US grant assistance and are intended to enhance the AFP’s counter-terrorism capabilities and readiness.
The shipment was delivered to Clark Air Base by the Joint US Military Assistance Group-Philippines (JUSMAG-P).
It included 14 M2A1 .50 caliber heavy machine guns, seven M240B machine guns, and thousands of rounds of ammunition.
“As the United States and the Philippines celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations today, we welcome this key equipment transfer, which will support the continued readiness of the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” said JUSMAG-P chief and senior defense official to the Philippines Col. Stephen Ma.
The Philippines remains America’s largest recipient of military assistance in the Indo-Pacific. Since 2015, the US has provided more than P48.6 billion in security assistance to the country.
Meanwhile, the Japan Air Self-Defense Force and members of the Philippine Air Force concluded a bilateral training on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief at Clark Air Base in Mabalacat City, Pampanga that ran from July 5 to 8.
This was the first air-to-air bilateral training between the JASDF and PAF, marking a significant milestone for defense cooperation between Japan and the Philippines.