Basler offers BT-67 gunship to Philippines | IHS Jane's 360

Although not in the standard mould of a single-engine light attack aircraft, the BT-67 could be in with a good shout in the Philippines, given that it is particularly well-suited to the country's military requirements and geographic conditions.

In terms of the Philippines' military requirements, the country is engaged in a low-intensity counter-insurgency campaign against Islamist and communist guerrillas who have no air power of their own. As such, any attack platform employed by the PAF will be operating in a largely permissive airspace and so does not to be flown fast and low to avoid the threat of enemy fighters.

Though the PAF is geared to recapitalising its ground attack and close air support capabilities, it has a limited budget and resources and so would be far better off fielding a platform that has multirole capabilities. With the exception of air defence, there are no PAF missions that the BT-67 could not fulfil, and fulfil ably.

The geography of the Philippines also makes the BT-67 a good choice for the country. Made up of thousands of individual islands spread out across a vast archipelago, the Philippines requires an aircraft with extended endurance, superior range, and, for the ground attack role, deep magazines, all of which the BT-67 has in spades.