FILE PHOTO: A Patriot air missile system is fired during a live fire exercise in the annual joint military exercises between the United States (US) and Philippine troops called “Balikatan” or shoulder-to-shoulder, at a naval base in San Antonio, Zambales province, Philippines, April 25, 2023. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
MANILA, Philippines — In another first, the annual war games between the United States and the Philippines will test the Israeli-made air defense system during their drills in Central Luzon.
Col. Michael Logico, executive agent of the Balikatan 2024, confirmed Tuesday that Spyder (Surface-to-air Python and Derby) air defense missile system will be used in that military exercise.
“We will also be doing integrated air missile defense exercises in Central Luzon,” Logico added during the regular Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) press conference. But he did not disclose more details.
“We will be utilizing our own newly acquired weapon systems from the AFP modernization and we are going to test the interoperability between our weapon systems and that of the United States,” he likewise replied after being asked to expound on Spyder.
The Department of National Defense signed a deal with Israel’s Ministry of Defense and manufacturer Rafael Advanced Defense Systems for three batteries of the Spyder in 2019. The agreement worth P6.8 billion is part of the AFP modernization program’s Horizon 2.
The first two missile batteries arrived in September 2023 while the third would be delivered this year.
The Spyder air defense missile system is designed to protect critical installations, land-based fixed assets, mobile platforms, and friendly forces from aerial threats such as combat aircraft, attack helicopters, drones, incoming missiles, guided munition, and rockets.