Philippine Navy test-fires weapons of anti-submarine choppers in WPS

A .50-caliber machine gun is lodged at AW-159 antisubmarine helicopter for a firing exercise at Marine Base Gregorio Lim firing range in Ternate, Cavite on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024. (Photo from the Philippine Navy)

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Navy test-fired the weapon systems fitted in two of its AW-159 anti-submarine helicopters,  Cmdr. John Percie Alcos, the newly designated Navy spokesperson, told reporters in a phone interview on Wednesday.

Alcos said that two .50-caliber machine guns — one for each of the AW-159 — were test-fired at Marine Base Gregorio Lim firing range in Ternate, Cavite on Monday, Feb. 26.

“The inclusion of the .50-caliber heavy machine gun further enhances the aircraft’s mission capabilities, providing the AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines] with a potent weapon system to combat potential threats in the maritime domain,” Alcos also said.

The heavy machine gun is a secondary weapon of the AW-159, with the Blueshark torpedoes being its primary weapon.

The two United Kingdom-made AW159 Wildcat Helicopters are an integral part of the Jose Rizal Class anti-submarine frigate’s firepower.

In June 2023, the AW-159s were deployed in the West Philippine Sea for the first time to ensure effective maritime presence there, according to the AFP Western Command.