Latest news with #MarineAirDefenseIntegratedSystem
Japan Today
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Japan Today
U.S. and Philippines discuss more missile system deployments as tensions rise in South China Sea
FILE - A US Marine Air Defense Integrated System, or MADIS, fires at a drone during a live-fire joint Philippines US military exercise at the Philippine Navy training camp in San Antonio, Zambales province, northern Philippines Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila, File) By JIM GOMEZ The United States is discussing the possible deployment of more missile launchers to the Philippines to strengthen deterrence against aggression in the disputed South China Sea and other Asian security hotspots, but no final decision has been reached by both sides, Manila's ambassador to Washington said Thursday. The U.S. military delivered a mid-range missile system called the Typhon, a land-based weapon that can fire the Standard Missile-6 and the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile, to the northern Philippines as part of joint combat exercises in April last year. That was followed by the transport by the U.S. military of an anti-ship missile launcher in April this year to the northernmost Philippine province of Batanes, just a sea border away from Taiwan. Beijing strongly protested the installation of the U.S. missile systems, saying they were aimed at containing China's rise and warning that these would threaten regional stability. China has asked the Philippines to withdraw the missile launchers from its territory, but officials led by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had rejected the demand. Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez said without elaborating that the possible deployment by the U.S. of more Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System or NMESIS missile launchers "was being discussed for consideration by both sides.' The anti-ship missile systems could be installed along Philippine coastal regions facing the South China Sea and outlying regions to beef up deterrence against aggression, he said. 'This is part of the strong U.S. and Philippines defense partnership,' Romualdez told The Associated Press. Romualdez spoke on the sidelines of a trade and investment conference in Manila, where he and Philippine Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro encouraged major U.S. companies to invest in a wide array of industries — from energy and telecommunications to infrastructure and navy shipbuilding — in the Philippines, the oldest treaty ally of the U.S. in Asia. 'When U.S. companies invest here, it's not just about returns on capital — it's about returns on alliance,' Romualdez told U.S. business executives at the conference. 'A stronger Philippine economy means a more capable and reliable defense partner for the United States.' 'At a time when America is diversifying supply chains and rethinking global strategy, we are a natural choice – and a strategic necessity,' Romualdez said. 'I ask you to carry this message to the Trump administration: `Every U.S. dollar invested in the Philippines strengthens America's position in the Indo-Pacific.'' U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth flew to Manila in March in his first visit to Asia and said the Trump administration would work with allies to ramp up deterrence against threats across the world, including China's increasingly aggressive actions in the South China Sea. The U.S. was not gearing up for war, Hegseth said then, but underscored that peace would be won 'through strength.' China claims virtually the entire South China Sea. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have overlapping claims to the resource-rich and busy waters, but confrontations have spiked between Chinese and Philippine coast guard and naval forces in recent years. On Wednesday, the U.S. briefly deployed two warships in what it called a 'freedom of navigation' operation off the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea where two Chinese navy and coast guard ships collided earlier in the week while trying to drive away a smaller Philippine coast guard vessel. The high-seas accident sparked alarm among Asian and Western countries. 'Freedom of navigation is essential for the trillions of dollars worth of commerce that passes through these waters,' the U.S. ambassador to the Philippines, MaryKay Carlson, told reporters on the sidelines of the Manila investment conference. 'It's about commerce. It's about lives and livelihoods.' © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Top Marine calls for affordable, lethal and autonomous systems
The Marine Corps' highest-ranking officer continues to emphasize the service's key mission in crisis response through its expeditionary units, while asking industry to give the Corps affordable and autonomous ways to modernize the force. Marine Corps Commandant Eric Smith told the audience at the annual Modern Day Marine exposition Thursday that the force design decisions made over the past six years have put new capabilities in the hands of crucial formations, such as the Marine Expeditionary Unit, or MEU. 'This is about more than ships, it's about deterrence and denial,' Smith said. 'That is why the 3.0 [Amphibious Ready Group] MEU matters, it gives our leaders options.' A 3.0 presence means a three-ship ARG-MEU, each deployed out of the East Coast, one out of the West Coast and a third on episodic deployments out of Okinawa, Japan. Top Marine's deployment plans face familiar wrinkle: Inert Navy ships An ARG includes an assault ship, a landing ship with helicopter platform and a dock landing ship. The MEU contains a battalion landing team, ground combat element, aviation combat element and combat logistics element to form a Marine Air Ground Task Force, or MAGTF. To achieve that, the Corps needs 31 amphibious ships at a readiness level of 80%. Demand is higher from combatant commands, Smith said. The demand is more than five ARG MEUs, the most requested asset behind the Carrier Strike Group. Readiness levels hover at around 50%, Smith said in early April at the Navy League's annual Sea-Air-Space Exposition. That's because following two decades of land-based wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Corps had largely not maintained its fleet. Money for maintenance and shipbuilding went to those wars instead. And Smith wants more capabilities for those MEUs as the service battles an amphibious ship shortage. 'What I need is affordable, lethal, autonomous, light and I can fund at budget time,' Smith said. Some of those new developments include the Marine Air Defense Integrated System, or MADIS, and its lighter version, the L-MADIS. The system still needs more autonomous solutions to get after a major threat – drone swarms. 'The big thing that really keeps me up at night is swarms,' Col. Andrew Konicki, head of ground-based air defense for Marine Corps Systems Command, said Wednesday. Striking those threats from aboard ship or on shore is vital to keeping Marines alive. 'That is how we're going to say ahead of the adversary, with autonomy,' Smith said. Thirteen of 21 Light Marine Air Defense Integrated Systems, or L-MADIS, have been fielded over the past three years. That light system was fielded to the 3rd Littoral Anti-Air Battalion, 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment in 2024. It handles group I and II drone threats. Marine Expeditionary Units have used the system when crossing various maritime chokepoints, and it has proved effective in the maritime environment, despite the system being built mainly as a ground-based air defense system, Konicki said. Seven more of the larger MADIS system will be fielded by September, bringing the Corps total to 20, with full fielding expected by 2033. That's for air defense. For a more offensive approach, the Corps expects to receive four-dozen mobile fires platforms, dubbed the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System, or NMESIS. The NMESIS is made up of a Naval Strike Missile mounted on a Joint Light Tactical Vehicle platform with semi-autonomous and autonomous capabilities to launch remotely. The 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment, a newly created unit for fighting in the littorals, or waters near land, received the first six NMESIS in November. The Hawaii-based unit formed in 2021. The service then established the 12th MLR on Okinawa, Japan, with plans for a third rotational MLR on Guam. Six of the NMESIS systems are set to field with 12th MLR beginning March 2026. All these moves and the push for new, better equipment have a singular aim, he said. 'Modernization with a clear purpose – to keep Marines lethal and survivable,' Smith said.
BBC News
27-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Beijing seizes tiny sandbank in South China Sea
The Chinese coastguard has seized a tiny sandbank in the South China Sea, state media has reported, in an escalation of a regional dispute with the broadcaster CCTV released images of four officers, wearing all black and holding the Chinese flag, stood on the disputed reef of Sandy Cay in the Spratly channel said China had "implemented maritime control and exercised sovereign jurisdiction" on the reef earlier in Philippine government has yet to formally respond. Both China and the Philippines have staked their claims on various islands and zones. Their dispute has been escalating, with frequent confrontations including incidents of vessels colliding and scuffles. Sandy Cay is near a Philippine military outpost on Thitu Island, which Manila reportedly uses to track Chinese movements in the is no sign that China is permanently occupying the 200 sq metre island and the coastguard is reported to have left. The White House said reports of China seizing the reef were "deeply concerning if true".In comments reported by the Financial Times, James Hewitt, US National Security Council spokesperson, warned that "actions like these threaten regional stability and violate international law", adding that the White House was "consulting closely with our own partners".The Chinese move comes as US and Philippine forces are carrying out their annual war scenario drills - called the Balikatan exercises. China has criticised the drills as many as 17,000 personnel are taking part in the coming days. Missiles from the US Marine Air Defense Integrated System were fired off the coast of the northern Philippines on Sunday, the system's second live fire test and its first deployment to the Philippines. The drills are also set to feature the US anti-ship missile system Philippines military says the drills are a rehearsal for national defence but insists they are not directed at any particular country."This type of training is absolutely invaluable to us," said Third Marine Littoral Regiment Officer John exercise has helped allay fears among some US allies that Donald Trump may upend the years-long military support it has provided in the a visit to Manila last month, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said Washington was "doubling down" on its alliance with the country and was determined to "re-establish deterrence" against China. There have been wrangles over territory in the South China Sea for centuries, but tension has grown in recent claims by far the largest portion of territory in an area demarcated by its so-called "nine-dash line". The line comprises nine dashes which extends hundreds of miles south and east from its most southerly province of Hainan. Beijing has backed its expansive claims with island-building and naval claimants such as Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei have staked claims on islands and various zones in the is the South China Sea dispute?
Straits Times
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
US, Philippine troops shoot down drones in joint defence drills
A U.S. soldier checks an Avenger Air Defense System during the annual joint military exercises between U.S. and Philippine troops called \"Balikatan\" or shoulder-to-shoulder, at a naval base in San Antonio, Zambales province, Philippines, April 27, 2025. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez U.S. soldiers talk beside a MADIS or Marine Air Defense Integrated System during the annual joint military exercises between U.S. and Philippine troops called \"Balikatan\" or shoulder-to-shoulder, at a naval base in San Antonio, Zambales province, Philippines, April 27, 2025. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez U.S. soldiers talk beside an Avenger Air Defense System during the annual joint military exercises between U.S. and Philippine troops called \"Balikatan\" or shoulder-to-shoulder, at a naval base in San Antonio, Zambales province, Philippines, April 27, 2025. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez A U.S. soldier checks an Avenger Air Defense System during the annual joint military exercises between U.S. and Philippine troops called \"Balikatan\" or shoulder-to-shoulder, at a naval base in San Antonio, Zambales province, Philippines, April 27, 2025. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez Philippine and U.S. soldiers walk past a MADIS or Marine Air Defense Integrated System during the annual joint military exercises between the U.S. and Philippine troops called \"Balikatan\" or shoulder-to-shoulder, at a naval base in San Antonio, Zambales province, Philippines, April 27, 2025. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez SAN ANTONIO, Philippines - U.S. and Philippine soldiers shot down drones with Stinger missiles during live-fire drills on Sunday, part of annual joint military exercises taking place at a time of simmering tensions with Beijing over the South China Sea. More than 14,000 Filipino and U.S. troops are participating in this year's Balikatan, or "shoulder-to-shoulder", exercises, which run until May 9, focusing on a "full battle test" between the two defence treaty allies in response to regional security concerns. China has criticised the drills as provocative. Sunday's drills were held in the western Philippines province of Zambales that faces the South China Sea, a flashpoint between China and Southeast Asian nations. Ties between Beijing and Manila are their worst in years amid frequent confrontations in the disputed waterway that have sparked concerns of a military conflict. Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said last week the country's coastguard had conducted maritime control operations at Sandy Cay, which China calls the Tiexian Reef, exercising sovereignty jurisdiction, and the Philippines on Sunday conducted a maritime operation in the area, observing the "illegal presence" of Chinese coastguard and "maritime militia" vessels. While the Philippine military has described this year's drills as a rehearsal for national defence, it said the exercises were not directed at any country. The integrated air and missile defence exercise in Zambales employed the Marine Air Defense Integrated System or MADIS, marking the system's second live-fire test and its first deployment to the Philippines. "This type of training is absolutely invaluable to us," 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment Officer John Lehane told reporters after the exercise. This year's Balikatan also featured the debut of the NMESIS, the U.S. anti-ship missile system, which will be employed during maritime key terrain security operations in Northern Luzon and the Batanes Islands, near Taiwan. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Anduril beat 9 competitors to snag a $642 million anti-drone contract for the US Marine Corps
Palmer Luckey's startup Anduril scored a $642 million deal for anti-drone tech in Marine Corps bases. The 10-year contract is meant to help fight smaller drones like the exploding ones in Ukraine. The Defense Department said Anduril was chosen out of 10 total bids. Defense startup Anduril clinched a $642 million contract on Friday to help the US Marine Corps fight smaller drones at its bases. Anduril's new deal is for the Marine Corps Installation-Counter small Unmanned Aircraft Systems program, which is essentially a network of anti-drone defenses for bases and facilities. The announcement comes after Anduril scored a separate five-year $200 million agreement in November to bring counter-drone tech to the Marine Air Defense Integrated System. This mobile air defense system can be mounted on vehicles like Humvees. Like with the MADIS, Anduril's offering for this new contract is to fight smaller drones, which the US military classifies as Group 1 and Group 2. Such drones are typically no heavier than 55 pounds and fly at a maximum altitude of about 3,500 feet, like the exploding commercial drones used in the war in Ukraine. When the Corps first opened its contract in April 2024, it warned of a "security capability gap" for dealing with these smaller drones at its bases. "The sUAS threat poses unique challenges to military installations when compared to those of operational forces," the Corps wrote. The Defense Department said on Friday that 10 companies had submitted proposals for the contract. With Anduril scoring the deal, the department said that 80% of the work until 2035 would be done in Costa Mesa, California, home to Anduril's headquarters. The rest is expected to be performed in Washington, D.C., and other Marine Corps facilities. The announcement did not specify what type of product or how many systems Anduril will deliver. Press teams for Anduril and the Marine Corps did not respond to requests for comment from Business Insider outside regular business hours. One of Anduril's main offerings for fighting smaller drones, Anvil, features a quadcopter that flies out from a portable storage box to track and crash into enemy systems. It can also be fitted with explosives to attack bigger targets. Additionally, the company sells electronic warfare jammers called Pulsar, which it's already providing to the Pentagon as part of a $250 million deal from October. Anduril, founded in 2017 by Oculus creator Palmer Luckey, has become a rising star in the defense industry as it emphasizes ready-made designs that can be produced at scale. In that sense, it hopes to reuse the same design to bid for multiple contracts instead of creating each one specifically for a single deal. The firm is also working with ChatGPT-maker OpenAI and runs its products on an AI software called Lattice to survey the battlefield and identify threats. One of its biggest scores so far is a $22 billion contract with the US Army to provide soldiers with mixed-reality goggles. The contract was originally awarded to Microsoft but later ceded to Anduril. The firm hopes to expand quickly. In August, Anduril raised $1.5 billion to build a 5 million-square-foot factory in Ohio that it said would "hyperscale" production. Read the original article on Business Insider
