Over 400 unknown tracks detected in airspace 'not hostile' — PH Air Force

The Philippine Air Force (PAF) on Tuesday said the more than 400 “unknown tracks” detected in the country’s air zone were “not hostile.”

“These are not hostile because we can also observe as I have said their flight patterns, directions, and speed,” Air Force chief Lieutenant General Stephen Parreño said at a press briefing.

During the 77th PAF anniversary celebration on July 1, President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. said that more than 400 unknown tracks in the Philippine Air Defense Identification Zone had been monitored.

''We have increased our maritime domain awareness by regularly conducting maritime patrol missions [and] monitoring over four hundred unknown tracks within the Philippine Air Defense Identification Zone,'' Marcos said in his speech.

Parreño said these tracks were unknown because they have not registered.

For Parreño, the detection of the unknown tracks shows the monitoring capability of the PAF.

“Let's take it on a positive side. Having detected 400 unknown tracks reflects our capability to monitor tracks flying within our airspace,” he said.

“These unknown tracks, we can only store them in our library and we can have an observation,” he added. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News