Bye Bye Bronco
January 1, 2025
The 15th Strike Wing at Danilo Atienza Air Base, Cavite, held a decommissioning ceremony for its remaining North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco multi-role attack aircraft and Bell AH-1S Cobra attack helicopters on 28 December. The Broncos were the last examples of the type still in frontline military service.
The OV-10 Broncos served the Philippine Air Force for 33 years, having been introduced on 12 November 1991. Some 24 OV-10As were supplied from US stocks in 1991, later followed augmented by nine more from the United States and eight OV-10Cs from the Thai Air Force in 2003–2004. The OV-10s equipped the 16th Attack Squadron, ‘Eagles’, and the 25th Composite Attack Squadron of the 15th Strike Wing, based at Danielo Atienza Air Base at Sangley Point, Cavite.
The PAF used its Broncos for anti-terrorist operations in Jolo island, and in
air strikes against Moro Islamic Liberation Front positions during 2011 and 2012, and against the Maute group in June 2017.
The remaining OV-10s have now been replaced by the Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano as required by the AFP Modernization Act. The OV-10s were finally withdrawn from service on 28 December 2024.
Henceforth, the only OV-10s flying will be ‘warbirds’ and civilian aircraft used for Joint terminal attack controller training by Blue Air Training, CAL FIRE and Beaufort County Mosquito Control in South Carolina.
