In the heart of the Philippines, the rugged tropical landscape echoed with the thunderous roar of engines. Two FA-50 Golden Eagles, South Korea’s latest fighter, streak across the horizon on their way to their objective: a hostile base full of radical Islamic insurgents.Equipped with tactical datalink, EL/M-2032 radar, state-of-the-art HUD, and sensors, the Philippine Golden Eagles locate the enemy and attack with precision and lethality.The Eagles swiftly scan the ground below, and before the insurgents can race for cover, they drop their bomb ordnance. The Mach-capable aircraft, honoring their American F-16 legacy, leave a trail of destruction behind and turn around, prepared for a second run.When they do, mayhem takes hold of the insurgents, with the Golden Eagles’ powerful 20-millimeter Gatling guns and FFAR rockets turning fortifications into rubble.In the blink of an eye, the FA-50s destroy the Islamist strongholds and return to their base, preserving the Philippines from a rising threat.The Golden Eagle ushers a new decade of affordable yet highly effective aircraft for nations with a smaller military budget, costing around 40 million apiece, representing almost one-third of the price of a modern American or European fourth-generation fighter aircraft.