MANILA, Philippines — Two Philippine Air Force (PAF) jets scrambled to intercept an unidentified foreign aircraft spotted flying toward the country’s airspace last Thursday.
In a statement, the PAF said it deployed two FA-50 aircraft to intercept the unknown aircraft, which was detected flying about 120 nautical miles northwest of Bolinao, Pangasinan.
The Philippine Air Defense Control Center (PADCC) detected the foreign aircraft. No details were given regarding the aircraft.
The PADCC issued a “scramble” order that prompted the deployment of the two FA-50 combat planes.
The two PAF jets flew at a maximum allowable speed towards the direction of the aircraft, which was said to be flying at 265 knots heading northeast.
About four minutes into the intercept, the aircraft changed direction and headed north – away from Philippine airspace – at a faster speed of 400 knots.
The intercept was terminated at about 9:45 in the morning.
“In the past decades, aircraft flying without clearance would willfully violate the Philippine airspace knowing that they will not be challenged; today our airspace is being closely monitored jointly by the Philippine Air Force and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines,” the PAF said in a statement.