US Army fires Patriot missiles for first time during Balikatan drill
By Robina Asido
SAN ANTONIO, Zambales -- The United States Army fired its Phased Array Tracking Radar for Intercept on Target (Patriot) surface-to-air missile defense system in the Philippines for the first time during the largest Balikatan exercise in Zambales on Tuesday.
"This is the first time we have ever fired (the) US Army Patriot missile system here and two for two in a shot that you just witnessed and for us as soldiers in US Army a tremendous opportunity," Maj. Gen. Brian Gibson, commanding general of the US 94th Army and Air Missile Defense Command said during the press conference after the live fire exercises at the Naval Education Training and Doctrine Command.
Maj. Nicholas Chopp, US 94th Army Air and Missile Defense command public information officer, said the US Army brought the Patriot missile system in the country during last year's Balikatan but he noted that they "did not do a live fire".
"For Balikatan last year, we loaded Patriot up on the USS Ashland down in Subic Bay that on flat bottom naval amphibious vessel," he said.
During the Patriot live fire, the US Army fired two missiles targeting Kratos Firejet and Chopp noted that the "two patriot engagements both resulted in clean kills engage the target in the missile engagement zone and basically eradicated that notional threat."
The United States also fired their Avengers air defense weapon system using 50 caliber rounds and stinger missile rounds.
The four armored jeep-type vehicles used during the Avenger live fire has two missile pods on the side, each can hold four stinger missiles and a 50-caliber machine gun on the center.
During the live fire drill, one of the outlaw Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) was hit after firing several rounds of 50 caliber machine gun, while another one was successfully struck by a Stinger missile. But the second missile failed to reach the target.
In his statement, Gibson stressed the importance of the live fire exercises, especially for the United States Army that were members of the US Army National Guard from Mississippi.
After the Avengers and Patriot live fire, the United States and Philippine armed forces will also conduct its first Littoral live fire exercise with a boat sinking scenario in Zambales on Wednesday. DMS
