Time’s up: Air Force retires iconic Vietnam War-era attack aircraft, helicopters
It was the end of an era for the Philippine Air Force’s (PAF) remaining two Rockwell OV-10 Bronco light attack aircraft and two Bell AH-1S Cobra attack helicopters that widely supported the military’s insurgency and counterterrorism operations.
PAF bid farewell to these aging air assets on Saturday with a decommissioning ceremony at the Major Danilo Atienza Air Base in Sangley Point, Cavite City.
The retiring aircraft cruised the runway at Sangley Point for one final parade in front of the active and retired pilots and crew who gathered for the decommissioning ceremony.
Prior to the decommissioning, the 15th Strike Wing, the PAF unit responsible for tactical and close air support to the military’s ground operations, only had two operational OV-10s remaining in its fleet after operating more than 30 aircraft it acquired from the US and Thailand and being its stalwart workhorse since the 1990s.
The two AH-1S Cobras, the PAF’s first pair of dedicated attack helicopters, were donated by the Kingdom of Jordan only in 2019 and were previously operated by the Royal Jordanian Air Force and Israeli Air Force.
Sourcing spare parts had become a challenge to continue the maintenance of these aging air assets, highlighting the changing landscape of air power and eventually paving the way for the Air Force leadership to decide to finally retire these aircraft, PAF 15th Strike Wing commander, Brig. Gen. Juliano Llarenas, said during the ceremony.
Vietnam War vintage
The Philippines was one of the last operators of the legendary Vietnam War vintage OV-10s, which patrolled the West Philippine Sea and saw action in numerous internal security operations against the New People’s Army and Abu Sayyaf Group, including the Marawi siege in 2017.
The Cobras provided close air support missions in Northern Luzon, particularly in the “Oplan Polaris II” operation in Cagayan in 2022 and battlefield interdictions during the “Opord Kilo Uno” operation in Nueva Ecija in 2024. In all, Cobra logged 817.7 flight hours, with 173.2 hours in operational missions with the PAF.
“We do not mourn an end but celebrate a legacy. Their decommissioning marks the culmination of years or decades of steadfast service and heralds a new era of innovation and progress built upon the foundation of their enduring contribution to our nation’s defense,” Llarenas said.
To replace these aircraft, the PAF will acquire a new batch of six new fixed-wing light attack Super Tucano aircraft after a contract was signed last week, he said. Six aircraft of the same type were delivered in 2020 by Brazil’s Embraer SA.
“Hopefully, the notice to proceed will be issued today,” Llarenas said.
The PAF used to be one of the finest in the region, but its air assets declined over time without replacements because of funding problems and the painstaking process involved in the country’s military modernization program.
