A Philippine Air Force fighter jet went missing during a night-time tactical operation on Tuesday, losing communication just before reaching its target.
The country’s military has launched a major search operation, but it was unclear if the personal locator beacons of the two pilots were still emitting signals.
An unnamed Philippine military official told the Associated Press that the jet went missing during an anti-insurgency operation against communist guerrillas in a southern province.
“The aircraft lost communication with the rest of the flight involved in the mission minutes before reaching the target area. The other aircraft repeatedly attempted to re-establish contact with the missing aircraft until its return to Mactan, Cebu,” air force spokesperson Colonel Maria Consuelo Castillo in a statement.
The air force was conducting “extensive and thorough search operations to locate the missing jet fighter aircraft”, she said. “Our primary concern right now is the safe return of our aircrew. We’re hopeful of locating them and the aircraft soon and ask you to join us in prayer during this critical time,” Ms Castillo added.
The incident marked the first major mishap involving the air force’s fleet of FA-50s, which were acquired under former president Benigno Aquino III. Authorities did not disclose any details about the fighter jet’s mission but confirmed that it was supporting ongoing military operations.
Ms Castillo said the jet was deployed as part of the air force’s “regular support to the ongoing operations of our unified commands”. “We are hopeful that we will still be able to recover,” she said. “We are more concerned about the safety of the aircrew right now, and we are still very optimistic that they are safe.”
A Philippine Air Force FA-50 jet fighter went missing during a Tactical Night Operations mission from Mactan, Cebu. Air Force spokesperson Col. Ma. Consuelo Castillo stated the jet lost contact before reaching the target area. Search operations are underway. pic.twitter.com/DYPMJ4mKWD
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The disappearance of the aircraft coincided with airstrikes in the Pantaron mountain range in the region of Northern Mindanao, where government forces engaged around 70 New People’s Army rebels, according to Rappler. The New People’s Army was formed in 1969.
The military reportedly requested air support to weaken the rebels near Cabanglasan, with airstrikes conducted between 1 and 2am on 4 March, the outlet reported. The Philippine authorities did not confirm if FA-50 jets were involved in the strikes.
Residents in Cabanglasan shared videos on social media capturing the loud sounds of jets flying overhead during the airstrikes.
