Sumablay ang multi-millon U.S High Mobility Artillery Rocket System or HIMARS precision rocket system ng US nang masapol ang palulubugin na decommissioned Corvette class warship ng Philippine Navy na siyang tampok sa mga gamit pandigma sa ginanap na joint combined littoral live fire exercise sa San Antonio Zambales kahapon.
Excited na pinanood ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. ang ginanap na combined littoral live fire exercises, na siyang pinaka- importante at tampok sa ginagawang 2023-38 Joint Balikatan Exercises sa pagitan ng mga sundalong Pilipino at at Amerikano.
Sa unang sigwada, nagpakawala ang US forces ng kanilang High Mobility Artillery Rocket System or HIMARS precision rocket system sa direksyon ng decommissioned war ship may 22 kilometro ang layo mula sa Naval Station Leovigildo Gantioqui, sa harap ng West Philippine Sea at saka sinundan ng pagpapaputok mula sa dalampasigan ng iba’t -ibang weapon system.
Ayon kay Balikatan Spokesman Col Micheal Logico, bahagi ng live fire exercise ang pag-target at pagpapalubog sa lumang barko ng Philippine Navy na nasa sa 12 nautical miles mula sa baybayin ng Zambales.
Layon nito na paigtingin ang joint and combined capabilities sa maritime security, amphibious operations, live-fire exercise, urban operations, aviation operations at counter-terrorism.
Napalubog din ang dating barko de giyera ng Philippine Navy ng aviation forces na kasama din sa joint live fire exercise alas- 2:55 kahapon matapos na patamaan ng laser-guided bomb mula sa US F35 fighter plan.
Nabatid na walang tumama mula sa mga pinakawalang missiles mula sa HIMARS.
“Well, we have to understand HIMARS, even before the exercise we were also not sure kung tatama yung HIMARS kasi it is really a ground -based and area weapon not a precision weapon Bukod pa sa mga kadahilanan na hindi naka-fix ang target na PS31 dahil sobrang lalim ng dagat ay hindi ito nakaangkla,” anito.
“First factor was that ex PS31 was not anchored, hindi siya naka- anchor kasi sobra lalim e, 6,000 feet so it was drifting and when, since it was drifting nung unang round was a registering fire, okay so ang registering fire kasi, it will hit a point tapos from that reference point dun sila maga-adjust, ang problema was that in between the first fire and yung mga succeeding nagkaroon ng several interlopers,” dagdag pa niya.
Nagka problema umano sa target acquisition at programing dahil may lumipad na private aircraft malapit sa site ay may lumalapit pang isang Bangka sa area.
Ipinagmalaki naman ni Col. Logico na tinamaan ng 155 mm canon ng Philippine Army ang kanilang mga designated secondary targets.
Nabatid na ang pagpapakawala ng HIMARS ang talagang sindya ni PBBM nang saksihan nito ang joint live fire exercise
“Well, the President was really there for the HIMArs, he really wanted to see the himars but since none of the himars hit, he wanted to stay longer para makita nya rin yung aviation assets so nakita nya. He was satisfied and then we were able to explain to him the entire process of the command and control ng dalawang joint task force,” paliwanag pa ng opisyal.
