MANILA — The Philippine Navy (PN) is now capable of using the missile weaponry and other equipment it is acquiring for its ongoing modernization program, the Department of National Defense (DND) said.
This is in wake of the successful test-firing of the Philippine Navy (PN)’s Rafael Advanced Defense Ltd. Spike-ER (extended range) surface-to-surface missile off Lamao Point, Limay, Bataan last August 9.
“Kasi bumili tayo ng missile hindi naman natin alam kung papaano gamitin at saka kung tatama tayo sa target, so ginawa nila, dinala nila dun sa may bandang (Bataan), naglagay sila ngtarget sa dagat, na six kilometers, tinarget nila, bull’s eye naman, so happy-happy naman si (PN flag-officer-in-command) Admiral (Robert) Empedrad, ni-report niya sa akin na successful ang testing ng ating missile, so in short, okay naman yung nabili nating missile, kaya naman nating gamitin (We bought a missile yet we do not know how to use it and if it will reach the target. So what they did, they brought it in Bataan, they put a target in the sea, about six kilometers. When they targeted it, it was a bull’s eye. So PN flag-officer-in-command Admiral Robert Empedrad was happy. He reported to me that the testing of the missile was successful. The missile that we bought is fine and we can use it),” Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said in an interview Friday.
The weapon was fired from one of the PN’s three Spike-ER armed multi-purpose assault craft (MPACs).
The said assault craft was constructed by the Subic-based Propmech Corporation and activated on May 22, 2017.
The PN MPAC Acquisition Project entered into a contract with Rafael, through SIBAT of Israel Ministry of Defense, for the supply and integration of the above-mentioned weapons systems to three Mark III MPACs.
On April 15, 2017, Lorenzana approved the notice to proceed with the project.
The Spike-ER system, which arrived in the country last April, is the PN’s first missile weapon capable penetrating 1,000 mm (39 inches) of rolled homogeneous armor and having a range of eight kilometers. (Priam Nepomuceno/PNA)
