Philippine Air Force decommissions OV-10; AH-1S Cobra from Active Duty
As the Philippine Air Force modernize its fleet of aircraft involving multiple functions and types, so does the decommissioning of existing military hardware already serving the military branch for years, as this will enable them to improve their firepower and other military performance-based capabilities along the way.
AS OFFICIALLY REPORTED
In an ongoing news report, the Philippine Air Force’s 15th Strike Wing has decommissioned the OV-10 Bronco and the AH-1S Cobra Attack Helicopters donated by Jordan to the Philippines in 2018.
As for the latter, it is fascinating to see that the AH-1S Cobra Attack Helicopters only served the Philippine Air Force for at least six (6) years, and there are no significant reports on their operational history since entering active duty in this military service branch.
The only likelihood of decommissioning the said attack helicopter points might refer to their performance and operational cost, considering that the Philippine Air Force also operates and maintains the brand new T-129 ATAK helicopters that the national government bought from Turkiye. These helicopters have a more significant operational history involving close air support operations against the country’s insurgent Communist and Moro threats.
Aside from the decommissioning of the donated attack helicopter, the exit of the OV-10 Bronco from active duty is not that surprising, as the Philippine Air Force now operates the A-29 Super Tucano close-air support aircraft, of which there might be a greater chance its numbers getting increased later on.
Overall, its decommissioning ceremony closes the chapter of both platforms serving the Philippine Air Force, allowing the service branch to open itself more into purchasing newer and more advanced military hardware, specifically additional T-129 ATAK Helicopters and A-29 Super Tucanos for its operational use.
ADDITIONAL CONTEXT
The Philippine Air Force, before this decommissioning ceremony, operates at least two (2) AH-1S Cobra Helicopters that came from a donation made by the country of Jordan, which in turn was a former Israeli AH-1S Tzefa Attack Helicopter before turning it over to Jordan. This basically made the Philippine Air Force the third owner of the helicopters.
The change in ownership gives a suggestion that the airframe lifespan of the helicopters might have maximized, adding to this is that the Philippine Air Force only operate and maintains a pair of this type of attack helicopter as opposed to at least six (6) brand new T-129 ATAK Helicopters from Turkiye. From a logistical point of view, getting additional orders of the latter is the way to go.
Additional thing to point out is that the AH-1S Cobra Helicopters might have helped the Philippine Air Force pilots transition from operating the MD-520MG and AW109 Power helicopters into getting the Turkish-made helicopter, as both the T-129 ATAK Helicopters and the donated AH-1S Cobra ‘Tzefa’ Helicopters are platforms fully dedicated for close air support operations.
Ultimately, the recent entry of A-29 Super Tucano close air support aircraft newly-produced by the Brazilian aerospace company Embraer enabled the Philippine Air Force decommissioned its remaining OV-10 Bronco aircraft, which have served the military service branch since the 1990s up to this date it removed from active duty.
References:
Jordan acquires ex-Israeli Cobra attack helicopters
PH sees delay in delivery of 2 Cobra gunships from Jordan
Live video link of the decommissioning ceremony by 15th Strike Wing, Philippine Air Force
Knowing the Philippine Air Force’s Donated AH-1S Helicopters from Jordan
Knowing the Philippine Air Force A-29 Super Tucano Close Air Support Aircraft
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