F-16 vs. Saab Gripen: Which Fighter is Best for The Philippines?

► The first 1,000 people to use this link will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare: Recently the Philippine Air Force or PAF has stepped up its efforts to obtain modern fighters, narrowing down their final selection to either the advanced Block 70 F-16 or the Saab JAS 39 C and D Gripen. This competition comes at a time with ever increasing tensions in the South China Sea. The economic and geostrategic importance of the South China Sea cannot be understated: Some one third of global maritime shipping passes through it, accounting for over 3 Trillion Dollars in trade each year. Today the PAF operates some 12 Korean Aerospace Industries FA-50 Fighting Eagle Light combat aircraft. These FA-50s began operations for the PAF in 2015, after a decade long hiatus following the 2005 retirement of the Northrop F-5. Either the Block 70 F-16 or JAS 39 Gripen would be a significant step up from the FA50, let’s take a look at the proposed offers for each aircraft along with their pros and cons for the PAF. Help support this channel: Join the Discord: Credits/Attributions: “The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.” US Department of Defense