Japan to lease 5 surveillance aircraft to Philippines

The Japanese government is leasing five light surveillance airplanes to the Philippines to bolster the country’s maritime patrol operations. Defense Undersecretary for Finance Raymundo de Vera Elefante said the deal to be signed today in Tokyo is for $7,000 per year for four TC-90 propeller light planes and the fighter TC-90 plane would be leased for $2,000 per year. Image: Reproduction/Philstar Global Elefante said the lease agreement is renewable every year. “It’s almost for free. Training will also be free and it will help us (in) guarding our shores, from the air,” Elefante, who will sign the lease, said. The TC-90s would come from the stock of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Forces. He said the Beechcraft King Air planes could be used for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief and maritime security operations. Source and image: Philstar Global Share this:TweetEmail