The Philippine Air Force will get four OV-10 aircraft from the United States this year or early 2019, a defense publication reported.

“They ( Defense News) might be referring to the four OV-10 aircraft that will be transferred to the Philippine Air Force (PAF) this year or early next year,” said Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, quoting PAF chief Lieutenant General Galileo Gerard Kintanar.

“We will bear the cost for the PCHT or cargo handling. The item appeared in the Defense News last week,” he added.

In an article posted in their website, Defense News stated “the aircraft, which have been retired from the US military since the mid-1990s will be provided free of charge to the Philippines.”

Lorenzana said the additional aircraft will augment the existing OV-10’s of the PAF.

“We have remaining OV-10s that we used in Marawi. They will augment these existing ones to support ground operations,” he said.

When asked how many OV-10 PAF has, Maj. Aristides Galang, PAF spokesman, refused to give details as part of their “security measures”. Robina Asido/DMS