The Philippine Navy (PN) will hold a live fire exercise in Bataan next month to determine the precision strike capability of the Spike-ER non-line of sight (NLOS) missile weapons system aboard two Acero-class patrol gunboats.
Vice Admiral Jose Ma Ambrosio Ezpeleta, PN Flag Officer in Command, said the live fire exercise involving fast-attack interdiction craft (FAIC) BRP Tomas Campo (PG-908) and BRP Albert Majini (PG-909) will be held in Mariveles town on April 21.
“These live missile firings represent a significant advancement in our operational capabilities and mark a step in refining shipping realistic and combat-ready military doctrines,” he said in a press briefing at the Navy’s headquarters in Manila.
Developed by Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, the Spike NLOS precision-guided missile system has an exceptional operating range of up to 32 kilometers – and up to 50 kilometers from the air – successfully engaging non-line-of-sight targets.
It is equipped with advanced electro-optical and infrared sensors, and offers day and night operational capabilities, enhancing its effectiveness in various combat scenarios.
“They have longer operational range. Because of its range and capability to engage targets over the horizon, it's more potent,” Navy spokesperson Captain John Percie Alcos explained of the capabilities of the Spike-ER NLOS.
Last year, the PN also test-fired the Spike-ER NLOS missiles aboard the Acero-class patrol craft.
However, Alcos bared that it would be the first time the PN would fire multiple missile systems aboard different naval assets.
A separate live fire event will feature the French Mistral infrared homing short-range air defense system.
“These live fire exercises are crucial for the Navy to further enhance its operational capabilities as well as validate existing war-fighting doctrines in order for us to effectively perform our mandate of protecting our maritime rights and jurisdictions,” Alcos said.
“By continuously conducting exercises, we not only improve the skills of our sailors but also test the system that we have onboard,” he added.