Marcos to AFP: Equipment maintenance is key

MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos ordered yesterday the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to ensure its equipment are always properly maintained, stressing the importance of readiness to respond to security threats and other emergencies as well as saving on cost in the acquisition of military hardware.

The Chief Executive was at Clark Air Base in Pampanga, where he inspected the Air Force’s two refurbished C-130T aircraft with tail numbers 5011 and 5040.

“Maintenance and repair are key aspects of our operations as well as important decision points in the acquisition of additional assets. I therefore direct the Philippine Air Force and the AFP to continue developing your capabilities for conducting maintenance and repair to keep all our military assets ready to go,” Marcos said.

He added that the return of the aircraft to Air Force’s fleet after undergoing extensive repair and maintenance would enable them to more effectively conduct various missions, especially those involving humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations.

Marcos reminded the Air Force to conduct routine checkup and regular engineering services for added safety requirements and provide extensive training to those who will be flying and using it as he stressed the importance of the aircraft during calamities and emergencies.

“We cannot afford to waste any time in the mission to save lives, therefore the existence of these air assets is crucial to ensure that information, aid and responder are made available to effectively help affected areas,” the President said.

The Chief Executive also expressed appreciation to the US government and Portugal for making the recommissioning possible, saying this is a testament to the enduring friendship and continued support of both countries to the Philippines.

US Ambassador MaryKay Carlson was among those who attended the event.

Aside from inspecting the C130T aircraft, Marcos also witnessed the capability demonstration of the Hermes 900 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle and the C208B Grand Caravan EX.

The Air Force also presented to Marcos an honorary Philippine Air Force Gold Wing Award, which, the President said, inspires him to be counted among the esteemed list of Air Force awardees who have received the honorable distinction.

From January 2022 to March 29 this year, the Air Force received under the AFP Modernization Program three C-295 helicopters; first batch of Ground Based Air Defense System equipment (including 11 Tatra vehicles, 12 I-Derby canisterized missiles and four container vans of integrated logistics support packages for the GBADS Battery unit) and four T-129 ATAK helicopters. — Sheila Crisostomo