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NMESIS missiles test-fired in PH during Balikatan 2025

NMESIS missiles test-fired in PH during Balikatan 2025

GMA Network10-07-2025
US soldiers check an Avenger Air Defense System during the Balikatan joint military exercises between US and Philippine troops at a naval base in San Antonio, Zambales, April 27, 2025. REUTERS/ Eloisa Lopez
The United States' Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) was used in a test fire in the Philippines during the two countries' Balikatan Exercise, the US Pacific Fleet said Thursday.
'We test-fired NMESIS missiles, operated amphibious vehicles and HIMARS, and trained with unmanned systems, and conducted full battle tests and real-world scenarios,' US Pacific Fleet commander Admiral Stephen Koehler said in his speech during the closing ceremony of the Pacific Amphibious Leaders Symposium in Manila.
However, the US military official did not give more details about the activity.
This year's Balikatan was conducted in different areas in the Philippines from April 21 to May 9 with around 17,000 participants.
NMESIS is a ground-based anti-ship missile system deployed by the United States Marine Corps' Marine Littoral Regiments for coastal defense and maritime security operations. The Naval Strike Missile has a range of up to 300 kilometers.
The missile system was initially deployed to the Philippines in April to be used for Balikatan between US and Filipino forces.
NMESIS will remain in the country where it will take part in more exercises, according to the Philippine military.
This is the second advanced missile system from the US to be present in Philippine territory.
Last March, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) also welcomed reports on the second deployment of the US Army's Typhon Mid-Range Capability (MRC) missile system in the country.
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