Washington [US], June 20" Spokesman Pawel Puczko of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit of the US Marine Corps announced on June 28 that an AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter of this force carrying the AGM-179 coalition air-to-ground missile was detected. sank a training ship in the Philippine Sea on June 26.
This is the first time the AGM-179 missile has been used in the Indo-Pacific region, according to Stars and Stripes newspaper . This precision guided missile is designed to strike high-value targets on land and sea.
The AGM-179 can also be used to "protect important maritime terrain against a variety of targets from armored vehicles to maritime patrol vessels in conflict," according to Mr. Puczko. The defense of "critical maritime terrain" applies to the US Marine Corps' updated role as a "standing force" that holds islands within range of opponents to control important straits. in an island chain stretching from Japan to the Philippines.
The refueling and rearming took place at a training area in Japan's Okinawa prefecture and the live-fire exercise took place in the Philippine Sea, Puczko added. He stressed that the exercise allowed the pilots to "improve their proficiency and gain proof of concept regarding their tactics and targeting capabilities."
The AGM-179, also known as JAGM, is a replacement for the laser-guided AGM-114 Hellfire missile and its radar-guided variant, the Longbow, and is the result of combining the capabilities of both into one , according to manufacturer Lockheed Martin's website.
The AGM-179 can be launched from helicopters, fighter jets and ground vehicles. The latest variant of the AGM-179, the JAGM-MR medium-range missile, has a range of about 16 km, according to Lockheed Martin.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper