The Republic of Korea Air Force’s (ROKAF) Black Eagles aerobatic team returns to the Philippines for a series of shows at the Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga from March 3 to 5 to celebrate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and South Korea, the Philippine Air Force (PAF) said in an advisory.
The PAF said a segment of the air show on March 3 will feature a ‘friendship flight’ between the ROKAF T-50B and the PAF FA-50PH aircraft for dignitaries and special guests.
The succeeding air shows from March 4 to 5, however, will be open to the public.
The ROKAF ‘Black Eagles’ air demonstration team is composed of nine Korean-made T-50B aircraft, a version of the FA-50PH fighter jets currently being used by the PAF.
Black Eagles is the nickname of the 53rd Air Demonstration Group of the ROKAF. Formed on December 12, 1994, the initial team flew Cessna A-37B “Dragonfly” aircraft. The team reformed upon arrival of their new T-50 Golden Eagle aircraft, code-named as the T-50B, in 2010 after temporarily disbanding in 2007.
Aside from the air show, an exhibit featuring products from various South Korean defense manufacturers will also be held.
This is the second time the Black Eagles will be performing in Philippine airspace. The first was a show over Basa Air Base, in Floridablanca, Pampanga in August last year.
The air show is a celebration of 75 years of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and the Republic of Korea (ROK) established on March 3, 1949.
The Philippines honored the diplomatic relations a year later when more than 7,000 Filipino soldiers, known as the Philippine Expeditionary Force to Korea (PEFTOK), were dispatched to join the United Nations Command to defend the freedom and sovereignty of the ROK during the Korean War from 1950 to 1953.
