Two pilots from the Philippine Navy will be sent to Japan next month to undergo free training from the Japan Maritime Self Defense Forces on how use the TC-90 aircraft, Defense Undersecretary Raymundo Elefante said Thursday.

Elefante said the first two units of the TC-90 aircraft that the country has leased to Japan are expected to arrive by March or April 2017 followed by three more.

Elefante said the TC-90 aircraft to be used by the Philippine Navy to patrol the territory of the country will be based in Sangley Point, Cavite.

“(It’s) for maritime purposes, we can also use it for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response Operation (HADR),” he said.

But Elefante said the TC-90 aircraft that will be leased to Philippines will not have its surveillance equipment.

“(The aircraft is) bare as in, because they removed it, so on our part we will equipped it also for surveillance (purposes),” he said.

Japan and Philippines signed the agreement for the lease of five JMSDF TC-90 aircraft last Wednesday.

Under the agreement, the Philippine will rent the each of the first four aircraft for 7,000 dollars for per year and 200 dollars for the fifth unit or a total of 28,200 dollars for all the five TC-90s. Robina Asido/DMS