Outgoing Air Force chief Lieutenant General Jeffrey Delgado on Tuesday said two more second-hand C-130 “Hercules” cargo plane are set to be delivered, one this month and the other in September this year.
“These two C130s are refurbished and we bought them from the United States at a discounted price of P1.6 billion,” Delgado said.
He said the first Hercules will be arriving on March 15.
Delgado, a member of the Philippine Military Academy “Sandigan” Class 1982, will be stepping down from his position ahead of his mandatory retirement on March 20.
The general served as close-in security aide of presidential sister and TV host Kris Aquino during her mother’s presidency.
There is no official announcement yet from Malacañang or from the Armed Forces of the Philippines who would be his successor although the talk is that Deputy Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Edgar Fallorina (PMA “Matikas” Class ’83) has been “anointed” by President Benigno Aquino to replace Delgado.
Delgado will be handing over the PAF command to his successor on March 9 (today) in Andrews Airbase in Lipa City, Batangas.
Military spokesman Brigadier General Restituto Padilla confirmed that Fallorina would be the new PAF chief.
“General Fallorina is one of our most proficient helicopter pilots. Most of his internal security operation campaign exposure was in Central Philipines where he eventually served in the area of Tacloban City, Leyte and Samar,” he said.
After two years as PAF chief, Delgado said that the command has more than doubled the number of operational aircrafts from only 40 when he assumed his position.
“At the end of this year, PAF will be having more than 90 operational aircraft including our new acquisitions such as the supersonic FA-50 “Golden Eagle” lead-in jet fighters; Augusta 109, Bell 412 and UH-1D helicopters; and C295 fixed wing planes.
After retiring the obsolete F4 jets in its inventory, PAF has recently acquired 12 FA50s from a Korean Aerospace Inc. worth P18.9 billion. Two of the aircraft were already delivered and delivery of the rest will be completed next year.
The acquisition of the refurbished UH-1D helicopters cost P1.2 billion.