Philippine Air Force Welcomes Fourth C-208B Caravan EX to Boost Operational Capability
Pasay City, The Gulf Observer: The Philippine Air Force (PAF) officially accepted into service a new Cessna C-208B Caravan EX aircraft on Thursday, further expanding its fleet to four units of the versatile aircraft.
The acceptance, turnover, and blessing ceremony was led by PAF Chief Lt. Gen. Arthur Cordura at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City, with senior military officials and personnel in attendance.
PAF spokesperson Col. Ma. Consuelo Castillo said the latest addition significantly enhances the PAF’s air mobility and operational readiness.
“This versatile C-208B EX aircraft joins three others in the PAF inventory, which have been heavily used for a wide range of missions, including troop and cargo transport, medical evacuation, ISR (intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance), and humanitarian assistance,” she said.
The new aircraft arrived at Clark Air Base in Mabalacat City, Pampanga on April 16, where it underwent rigorous technical inspections prior to its formal acceptance.
Funded under the Philippine General Appropriations Act of 2023, the aircraft was acquired from Servo Aerotrade Services, Inc. and manufactured by Textron Aviation in Wichita, Kansas, USA.
The acquisition is part of the PAF’s ongoing modernization efforts under Horizon 2 of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Modernization Program, aimed at enhancing the country’s defense capabilities amid evolving security demands.
In 2024 alone, the PAF inducted several high-value assets, including:
- Two T-129 ATAK helicopters
- Ten S-70i Black Hawk helicopters (out of 32 ordered from Poland)
- One fixed air surveillance radar system
- One ground-based air defense system
- One C-130H tactical transport aircraft, delivered under the U.S. Excess Defense Articles Program on February 16, 2024
These enhancements not only bolster the Philippines’ territorial defense and internal security operations but also improve the military’s disaster response capacity, Castillo noted.
“The strategic addition of airlift platforms such as the C-130s, C-295s, and C-208Bs, alongside rotary assets like the medium-lift Black Hawks, will play a critical role in supporting the AFP Unified Command’s operational requirements, especially for the upcoming 2025 midterm national elections,” she added.
The PAF continues to prioritize the modernization and expansion of its fleet to ensure a more agile, responsive, and capable air force equipped to meet national defense and development objectives.
