Philippine Air Force

The Philippines Air Force (PAF) is the aerial warfare branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Established on July 1, 1947, it traces its roots back to the Philippine Constabulary Air Corps created in 1935. The PAF is primarily tasked with defending the Philippine airspace and conducting air operations in support of ground, naval, and Special Operations Forces. It operates a wide array of aircraft, including fighter jets, attack helicopters, transport planes, utility helicopters, and unmanned aerial vehicles. Key aircraft in its inventory include the FA-50PH fighter jets, MD-520MG attack helicopters, C-130 Hercules transport aircraft, and UH-1H Huey helicopters. The PAF has played a significant role in various operations, including internal security missions and disaster response efforts. It has undergone modernization efforts in recent years to enhance its capabilities and maintain its readiness to address various threats and challenges. The Air Force also participates in international training exercises and collaborates closely with allied countries to promote regional stability and security.

Key facts

Official Name Philippine Air Force
Local Name Hukbong Himpapawid ng Pilipinas
Country๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ญ Philippines
World rank#47 over 160
Active aircrafts191 as of 2025
Aircrafts on order62
Roundel

Roundel of Philippines air force

Origin countries of aircrafts

Country Active Aircraft
๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ United States 114
๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡น Italy 43
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง United Kingdom 20
๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท South Korea 12
๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ท Brazil 6
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ Spain 3
๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡บ Australia 3
๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท France 2
๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช Germany 2
๐Ÿ‡ณ๐Ÿ‡ฑ Netherlands 2
๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ Indonesia 1

Evolution of Philippine Air Force fleet

Aircrafts by type in 2025

Aircraft type Active
Helicopter Helicopter 115
Training Training 39
Transport Transport 23
Combat Combat 9
Other missions Other missions 5

Full inventory in 2025

Philippine Air Force

Aircraft Type Model Origin Country Model Year Active ๐šซ YoY Ordered
CombatCombat OV-10 ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ 1967 7
0
0
CombatCombat Cessna 208 ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ 1984 2
0
0
CombatCombat F-16V ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ 1979 0
0
12
HelicopterHelicopter MD500 ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ 1967 24
0
0
HelicopterHelicopter UH-1D/H ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ 1959 23
0
0
HelicopterHelicopter S-70i ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ 1979 20
+5
27
HelicopterHelicopter S-76 ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ 1979 9
0
0
HelicopterHelicopter AW109 ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡น 1976 8
0
0
HelicopterHelicopter Bell 205 ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ 1959 8
0
0
HelicopterHelicopter Bell 212/412 ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ 1959 7
0
0
HelicopterHelicopter T129 ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡น 1990 6
+2
6
HelicopterHelicopter AH-1F ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ 1967 2
0
0
TransportTransport C-130B/H/T ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ 1956 5
+1
2
TransportTransport Nomad ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡บ 1975 3
0
0
TransportTransport NC212i ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ 1974 2
0
6
TransportTransport ATR 72 ๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡น 1989 2
+2
0
TransportTransport Turbo/Twin Commander ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ 1952 2
0
0
TransportTransport C295 ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ 2001 1
-6
6
TransportTransport F27 ๐Ÿ‡ณ๐Ÿ‡ฑ 1958 1
0
0
TransportTransport F28 ๐Ÿ‡ณ๐Ÿ‡ฑ 1969 1
0
0
TransportTransport C-130J ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ 1956 0
0
3
TrainingTraining SF-260 ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡น 1966 18
-1
0
TrainingTraining FA-50PH ๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท 2005 12
0
0
TrainingTraining EMB-314 (A-29) ๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ท 1983 6
0
0
TrainingTraining S-211 ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡น 1984 3
0
0

Philippine Army

Philippine Navy Aviation

Sources: various open source data, including Wikipedia, Flightglobal.com, SIPRI Arms Transfer and official government websites.