Photo By Staff Sgt. Danielle Prentice | U.S. Army Capt. Frederick Sherman, left, shows Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Col....... read more read more
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U.S. Army Soldiers with Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 1st Air Defense Artillery held a tour of an ADA site for members of the 15th Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment, 15th Brigade, Western Army, Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Jan. 30 on Marine Corps Air Station Futenma.
Throughout the tour, the soldiers explained the six different crucial pieces of an ADA site, which featured phased array tracking radar intercept on target missiles. Those include: engagement control station, radar station, electronic power plant, antenna mast group, patriot launching station, and missile segment enhancement launching station.
“A PATRIOT missile is a highly capable missile against the wide range of air threats,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Neal Lape, the commanding officer of 1-1 ADA BN. “Our mission in 1-1 ADA is to defend critical assets in Okinawa, as well as the people and infrastructure of Okinawa, and you can’t do that all from Kadena. Being able to move out to different locations on Okinawa is absolutely crucial for us.”
PATRIOT’s fast-reaction capability, ability to track numerous targets simultaneously, and ability to operate in a severe electronic countermeasure environment make it the Army’s premier air-defense system. It has the ability to locate and track more than 100 potential targets from over 80 kilometers [49.7 miles] away.
“Escorting JGSDF Col. Eiji Shimamori was incredible,” said Lape. “I have a great relationship with him. We talk all of the time. This is the first time he’s seen a patriot battery. So for him to come out to MCAS Futenma, and see this equipment for the first time on location was awesome. He had a lot of questions that we answered for him. He is very inquisitive as far as what our weapons systems can do, just like we are with the JGSDF when we visit their base. It’s always good to see his perspective of things as an officer in the JGSDF.”
Throughout the tour, JGSDF members were able to ask questions to help them understand the training process and security that 1-1 ADA provides for Okinawa. Leadership on both sides also took this opportunity to discuss future events and training opportunities to continue enhancing the Japan-U.S. alliance.
“Our alliance is very strong,” said Lape. “Having them understand what our mission set is, and likewise we understand what their mission is, makes the bilateral bond even stronger.”
The U.S. Armed Forces and the JGSDF often come together for bilateral training to better prepare for the worst and strengthen the Japan and U.S. alliance.
“These are some exciting times in the Asia-Pacific,” said Col. Mark Coppess, the commanding officer of MCAS Futenma. “It has been 13 years since I was last on Okinawa, and I am happy to see how much stronger the alliance is between the U.S. and Japanese forces. These types of interoperability training events are fun for me. It is inspirational to watch these highly skilled and dedicated men and women from both nations working together to ensure our alliance is ready to face any challenge.”
| Date Taken: | 01.02.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 02.09.2018 03:58 |
| Story ID: | 265329 |
| Location: | MCAS FUTENMA, OKINAWA, JP |
| Web Views: | 238 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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