Key facts
- The Philippines is acquiring new surveillance aircraft to enhance its monitoring of the South China Sea.
- The US is providing three extended-range King Air 350-series aircraft under a $39.6 million contract.
- A separate $400 million U.S. Foreign Military Sales contract includes two King Air 360ER aircraft for the Philippines.
- The Philippines has also received its second ATR-72-600 Maritime Patrol Aircraft.
- These aircraft are intended to improve the Philippines' domain awareness amid rising regional tensions.
The Philippines is bolstering its maritime surveillance capabilities in the contested South China Sea with the acquisition of new, longer-range aircraft from the United States. These enhancements aim to provide Manila with greater reach and endurance to monitor Chinese coastguard, naval, and research vessels operating in the region.
The U.S. Navy awarded a $39.6 million contract on September 28 for three second-hand, extended-range King Air 350-series aircraft. These aircraft will be fitted with extended-range fuel systems and upgraded avionics to improve their surveillance capabilities.
Separately, a U.S. Foreign Military Sales contract modification has raised the budgetary ceiling for Textron Aviation's services to $400 million, specifically including support for two Beechcraft King Air 360 Extended Range (ER) aircraft for the Philippines. The King Air 360ER boasts a ferry range exceeding 2,600 nautical miles and can remain airborne for over 12 hours, enabling persistent monitoring of areas like the Scarborough Shoal and Second Thomas Shoal.
In addition to the King Airs, the Philippine Air Force (PAF) has received its second ATR-72-600 Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA). This acquisition, part of the Long Range Patrol Aircraft (LRPA) Acquisition Project, aims to replace aging surveillance platforms. The ATR-72-600 MPAs are being converted by Elbit Systems in partnership with Leonardo, equipped with the ELI-3360 mission system suite for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations.