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Missile exercise on Guam begins
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Posted on Aug 29 2004
As part of increasing military activities in the Marianas region, the U.S. Navy and the Royal Thai Navy ceremonially begins today a first air-to-surface missile target practice on Guam.
The Naval Forces Marianas headquartered on Guam disclosed yesterday that the ceremony would be held about 3pm today at the hangar of the Helicopter Combat Support Squadron FIVE at the Andersen Air Force Base.
“This is a historical event for the Royal Thai Navy, since it will be the first air-to-surface missile shoot from an aircraft to a surface target,” the Navy said in a media release.
“The purpose of this training is to allow the Royal Thai Navy, in coordination with the U.S. Navy, to load an AGM-84 Harpoon on a Fokker 27 aircraft, and then launch it against a carefully chosen target in the military training area W-517 to the south of the island of Guam,” it added.
The AGM-84 Harpoon is an all-weather, over-the-horizon, anti-ship missile with active radar guidance.
Adm. Chumpol Pachusanon, Royal Thai Navy Commander in Chief, and Adm. Vichai Yuwanangoon, Royal Navy Commander in Chief, Royal Thai Navy Fleet would attend the event.
The Navy assured that the missile exercise would be conducted in a safe and environment-friendly manner, disclosing that planning for the event, which involved the upper echelon of the Royal Thai Navy and the Task Force 72 and Naval Forces Marianas commander, began as early as April 2004. (John Ravelo)
