CLARK AIR BASE, Philippines—Making its presence felt and shattering the ever-present joke, the Philippine Air Force on Tuesday showed off its assets to prove that they are not “all air and no force.”
Lieutenant Colonel Enrico Canaya said the fly-by of around 50 aircraft during the 67th anniversary of the PAF is a “show of force.”
“We are trying to show to the people that we have these; we are capable,” Canaya said after the celebrations.
During the fly-by, three S-211 jets, three C-130 Hercules cargo planes, one F-28, 2 F-27 Fokker, three N-22 Nomad planes, two OV-10 Bronco bombers, two SF-260TP warrior, 16 SF-260FH/M trainers, nine T-41D trainers, an LC-210 weather aircraft, four MG-520 gunship helicopters, four UH-1H Huey helicopters, one Bell 205, Huey II, six Sokol rescue helicopters, and three S-76A air ambulances flew.
Canaya, however, said that the fly-by was pure show.
“No, we are only showing off here, for the public,” Canaya said. “It’s not meant to provoke any movements in the territory dispute.”
Late in June, four Huey helicopters arrived in Clark and 17 more are expected to arrive by the end of 2014.
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