CAMP AGUINALDO, Quezon City – The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) received a Beechcraft Hawker Aircraft donated by the San Miguel Corporation (SMC) on Thursday, May 5.
A formal acceptance, turnover, and blessing ceremony was presided over by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City. He was joined by SMC Chief Executive Officer, Ramon Ang.
The Hawker 800XP is a mid-size twinjet corporate aircraft acquired by SMC in 2022. It was donated to the Department of National Defense (DND) and turned over to the AFP.
A ceremonial champagne pouring and turnover of documents to the AFP highlighted the activity. AFP Chief of Staff General Andres Centino received the documents on behalf of the AFP.
Also present during the ceremony were Lieutenant General Connor Anthony Canlas, PAF Commanding General; Major General Florante Amano, Commander of Air Logistics Command; and Brigadier General Joannis Leonardi Dimaano, Commander of Air Mobility Command.
The Philippine Air Force will utilize the Hawker 800XP as a Command and Control Aircraft. It will work in tandem or as an alternative system to the Gulfstream G280 acquired by the AFP in 2020.
The aircraft will likewise be operated by the 250th Presidential Airlift Wing.///(Photos by A2C Ted Castro PAF/PAOAFP)
