By Robina Asido

SAN ANTONIO, Zambales -- The United States used its newly acquired Marine Air Defense Integrated System (MADIS) during live fire exercise of this year's Balikatan coastal defense drill between Philippine and American forces here Sunday.

Lt. Col. Matthew Sladek, US Marine 3rd Littoral Anti-Air Battalion Commander, said as part of the training, US Marines used six MADIS, a short-range, surface-to-air system to shoot down several unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to protect the Spyder, a medium-range air defense system of the Philippine Air Force that targeted the FA-50 aircraft which served as a cruise missile during the dry firing exercise.

"Today we're defending the coastline here again. FA-50s flew out simulating cruise missiles. So the frigate engaged the cruise missiles. They turned around and started coming towards the shoreline, which Spyder then integrated, and then we started flying drones against MADIS in defense of Spyder," he said.

"After the FA 50s flew through, MADIS is conducting a point defense of Spyder, so we're just continuing our training as part of that scenario," he added.

Maj. Elree Cardeno of the PAF's 960th Air Missile Defense Group, explained that unlike the live firing, the dry firing does not include using active missiles against the FA-50s that serves as the aggressor during the exercise.

"When FA50s approach our system, we convert the icon from combat aircraft to cruise missile, so that it will neutralize but it will not. It's only a dry fire, no actual active missile engaged on the FA-50," he added.

Sladek said it is the first time MADIS was used during the annual Balikatan exercises.

"This is the first time we would use MADIS, So my formation was the first unit in the Marine Corps to receive MADIS. We just received it in December of last year, and we rapidly transitioned to get it out here to support Balikatan," he said.

1st Lt. Annie Pentaleri, the Public Affairs Officer for US 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment, said MADIS was deployed in the Philippines to enhance its coastal defense.

"It is here to enhance coastal defense, and it is very mobile, so we can put it in different places. As you'll see today, we have a beach setting, and that's where it will be firing from. So you can assume, based on the ability to move the weapon system around, it can deploy to multiple places," she said.

Pentaleri assured that all activities of the United States forces in the Philippines during the Balikatan is supported and permitted by the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

"Nothing we do is without our Filipino partners. It is extremely important that we learn from each other, that we are able to discuss coastal defense strategies that we as the United States Marines are able to bring our weapons systems here to the Philippines to aid in that coastal defense concept," she said.

"At the same time, the Filipinos are able to teach us about their own coastal defense concepts and strategies so that together we can create a stronger free open Indo Pacific region," she added. DMS