Navy test fires Israeli missile off Basilan

ZAMBOANGA CITY – The Philippine Navy on Saturday said it has successfully tested the Israeli-made Spike ER (Extended Range) surface-to-surface missile during a test off Basilan province in southern Philippines.

 

Philippine Navy photos show the Spike ER (Extended Range) surface-to-surface missile made by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems of Israel. 

The missile is made by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. 

In a statement released late Saturday afternoon, the Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM) said the missile was launched from one of its Multi-Purpose Attack Crafts (MPAC) and hit its target four kilometers away. It said other warships also conducted a live fire exercise off Salkulakit Island on Thursday. 

“The missile was fired from MPAC BA489 and hit its target dead center from a distance of 4 kilometers. For the exercise, floating targets were constructed for the live firing exercise. Aside from the missile firing, participating warships also fired and tested their naval guns,” the navy said. 

The event was part of the 5-day live fire “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. 

The navy said the Spike ER missile is the navy’s first missile capable of penetrating 1,000-mm (39 inches) of rolled homogeneous armor. It is a flexible missile system proven by its dual guidance system that is the command and homing guidance, capable of hitting targets at a maximum distance of 8 km. 

It was the second time the Spike ER missile was successfully launched and tested after its delivery to the Philippine Navy in 2018 and the first time that the missile was operationally tested during a live firing exercise. 

“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. 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 statement said.

The missile system is now being used in three MPACs which were activated on September 23, 2019, bringing the number of these attack boats in the Navy's service to 12. The MPACs are 16.5-meter-long vessels carrying a remote-controlled .50-caliber machine guns which are also delivered by Rafael. These MPACs are capable of running at speeds of 30 to 45 knots. (Mindanao Examiner)