A Philippine Air Force fighter jet, with two pilots aboard, has gone mysteriously silent during a night mission. The aircraft was conducting close air support to troops battling insurgents in a southern province when it became unresponsive on the radio, prompting an immediate search and rescue operation.
The FA-50 aircraft had been operating in concert with other aircraft when it became inactive just before midnight on Monday. Each other member of the squadron landed safely at their base in Cebu province, but the unvarnished jet never landed. Due to operational security, the Air Force failed to provide many details about just how things unfolded.
According to a military officer, who requested anonymity, the mission purposed an ongoing operation against communist insurgents in the area. “Our hopes are high that we will have the pilots and the aircraft back soon. We hope that during this time of trouble, we have you praying with us,” said Air Force spokesperson Col. Ma. Consuelo Castillo. It was not immediately clear whether the rest of the FA-50 fleet would be grounded pending investigation; however, the Philippine Air Force has already mobilized large numbers of personnel and media assets to begin a search operation to locate the missing aircraft. For now, the air force remains concerned with one clear priority, “Getting their pilots home.”
