Navy tests fires missile off Basilan

ZAMBOANGA. The Philippine Navy, through Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM), successfully tested its Spike ER Missile during the Naval Surface Fire Support event Thursday, October 28, 17.8 nautical miles Southwest off Salkulakit Island, Basilan province. A photo handout shows the missile fired from MPAC BA489 and hit its target dead center from a distance of four kilometers. (SunStar Zamboanga)
ZAMBOANGA. The Philippine Navy, through Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM), successfully tested its Spike ER Missile during the Naval Surface Fire Support event Thursday, October 28, 17.8 nautical miles Southwest off Salkulakit Island, Basilan province. A photo handout shows the missile fired from MPAC BA489 and hit its target dead center from a distance of four kilometers. (SunStar Zamboanga)

THE Philippine Navy, through Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM), successfully tested its Spike ER Missile off Basilan province, a top Navy official announced Saturday, October 30, 2021.

Rear Admiral Toribio Adaci, Jr., NFWM command, said the Spike ER Missile was launched from one of the Multi-Purpose Attack Crafts (MPAC) of the 3rd Boat Attack Division during Naval Surface Fire Support (NSFS) events Thursday, October 28, 17.8 nautical miles Southwest off Salkulakit Island, Basilan province.

Adaci said the missile was fired from MPAC BA489 and hit its target dead center from a distance of four kilometers.

For the exercise, floating targets were constructed for the live firing exercise, according to Adaci.

“Aside from the missile firing, participating warships also fired and tested their naval guns,” he added.

The Spike ER Missile is the navy's first missile capable of penetrating 1,000 millimeters (39 inches) of rolled homogeneous armor.

It is a flexible missile system proven by its dual guidance system, which is the command and homing guidance, capable of hitting targets at a maximum distance of eight kilometers.

Adaci said this is the second time the Spike ER Missile was successfully launched and tested after its delivery to the Philippine Navy in 2018.

He said this was the first time that the missile was operationally tested during a live firing exercise.

The successful firing of the missile and its accurate hitting of the target also highlights the much-enhanced capability of the Navy to protect the seas and littoral areas of our maritime environment.

The event was part of the five-day Philippine Navy Exercise Pagsisikap 2021, which aims to test wartime and peacetime doctrines in the conduct of amphibious operations, maritime interdiction operations, surveillance and reconnaissance of the maritime areas, civil-military operations, and a host of other traditional and non-traditional naval operations.

Aside from validating techniques, tactics and procedures during the exercise, Exercise Pagsisikap 2021 also serves as a venue for the training of sailors and marines deployed in western Mindanao. (SunStar Zamboanga)

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