Latest news with #MaritimeKeyTerrainSecurityOperation
Newsweek
5 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Chinese Patrol Ships Surround Islands of US Treaty Ally
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Three Chinese coast guard vessels have deployed to a strategic waterway in the South China Sea that separates the Philippines from Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its territory—adding to rising regional tensions. Newsweek contacted the Chinese Foreign Ministry and Philippine coast guard with requests for comment. Why It Matters The Philippines, a U.S. defense treaty ally, and China are locked in a yearslong territorial dispute. Beijing asserts sovereignty over most of the South China Sea—a conduit for an estimated one-third of global seaborne trade—citing so-called historical rights. Manila has in recent years stepped up its pushback against Chinese coast guard incursions into the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, leading to occasional dramatic clashes at contested features such as Scarborough Shoal. What To Know On Thursday, three Chinese coast guard cutters—each at least 330 feet in length—"bracketed" the Philippines' northernmost province of Batanes, according to ship-tracking data shared by maritime analyst Ray Powell. Powell, who heads the Stanford University-affiliated maritime analysis group SeaLight, described the maneuvers as "a new level of aggression" from Beijing. As of Friday morning, two of the ships were operating east of the island group, while the third remained in waters to the west. It is rare for Chinese coast guard ships to operate this far north. The Batanes are closer to southern Taiwan than to Manila and are situated in the Bashi Channel—a strategic choke point that would almost certainly come into play in a war with China. In April, the U.S. and Philippine militaries held joint drills there with the NMESIS anti-ship missile system, drawing protests from Beijing. China's maneuvers came a day after Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., during a four-day state visit to New Delhi, vowed not to "cede one square inch" of territory to Beijing. The Philippine coast guard deployed a patrol aircraft to monitor the Chinese vessels because of what it called their "irregular movements," but poor weather limited the mission to challenging only the cutter west of Batanes, agency spokesperson Jay Tarriela said. He also said the ship ignored radio calls. "The leadership of the [Philippine coast guard] remains resolute and is prepared to deploy additional resources should the [China coast guard] vessels continue their presence or approach closer to the Batanes coastline," Tarriela wrote on X on Friday. U.S. Marines with 3d Littoral Combat Team, 3d Marine Littoral Regiment and 3d Marine Division conduct a notional fire mission with the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System during the Maritime Key Terrain Security Operation as... U.S. Marines with 3d Littoral Combat Team, 3d Marine Littoral Regiment and 3d Marine Division conduct a notional fire mission with the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System during the Maritime Key Terrain Security Operation as a part of Exercise KAMANDAG 9 in the Philippines, on May 27. More Cpl. Malia Sparks/U.S. Marine Corps What People Are Saying Jiang Bin, a spokesperson for China's Defense Ministry, said during Friday's news briefing of this week's joint Philippine-Indian naval drills: "We demand that the Philippines stop provoking and hype, stop forming cliques and making waves in the South China Sea, and return to the right track of managing differences through dialogue and consultation." Ray Powell, the director of SeaLight, wrote on X: "This is the first time I've observed this behavior from the China Coast Guard. While the CCG has been much more active in the West Philippine Sea, this marks the first I've seen it extend its intrusive patrols east of the Philippines." The West Philippine Sea is Manila's term for the parts of the South China Sea lying within its maritime zone. What Happens Next During his interview with Indian media, Marcos also said there was "no way" the Philippines could avoid being drawn into a war between its U.S. ally and China over Taiwan, citing its proximity and the more than 160,000 Filipinos working there. China's Foreign Ministry issued a sharp rebuke over the remarks, saying it had lodged protests with Manila and stressing that "geographic location" and the "large volume of Filipinos" in Taiwan should not be used as pretexts to interfere in the "internal and sovereign affairs of other countries." China claims Taiwan as its territory, though Beijing's government—which the Chinese Communist Party leads—has never ruled there. China has vowed to unite with the island democracy, through force if necessary. Chinese maritime activities—including oceanographic surveys and coast guard patrols in disputed areas—are likely to remain a point of friction in the South China Sea.
Miami Herald
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Photos Show New US Missiles Sent to China's Doorstep
The United States has once again deployed its NMESIS ship-sinking missile system on a Philippine island group for military drills, amid the presence of the Chinese navy in nearby waters. Newsweek has reached out to the Chinese Defense Ministry for comment by email. NMESIS stands for Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System-a U.S. Marine Corps ground-based launcher armed with two Naval Strike Missiles, capable of striking sea targets 115 miles away. It is designed for maritime warfare operations in the Pacific Ocean. During Exercise Balikatan 2025, held from April 21 to May 9 in the Philippines, the U.S. Marine Corps simulated anti-ship operations using NMESIS on Batan Island in the Luzon Strait-a key gateway for China's naval deployments beyond its surrounding waters. The Philippines plays a significant role in America's Indo-Pacific strategy. It is one of three nations-alongside Japan and Taiwan-that form a containment strategy known as the First Island Chain, aimed at restricting China's naval access to the broader Western Pacific Ocean. In a video released by the U.S. Marine Corps, a NMESIS launcher was shown being airlifted by a KC-130J transport aircraft to the Batanes Island chain-located north of the main Philippine island Luzon-on Sunday for the Maritime Key Terrain Security Operation. The operation, aimed at rehearsing the defense of key maritime terrain, is part of Exercise KAMANDAG 9-a war game involving the U.S., the Philippines, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom, scheduled from Monday to June 6 and taking place across the Philippines. Unlike Exercise Balikatan 2025, where no live missiles were launched by the NMESIS, the weapon will be employed in a live-fire drill during Exercise KAMANDAG 9 "if the weather permits," Philippine media outlet ABS-CBN reported, citing the country's marine corps. KAMANDAG-an acronym for the Filipino phrase "Kaagapay Ng Mga Mandirigma Ng Dagat," which translates to "Cooperation of Warriors of the Sea"-is an annual bilateral drill led by the U.S. and Philippine marine corps since 2016 to strengthen the allies' capabilities. This year's exercise underscored what the U.S. Marine Corps called the "global importance of maritime security," as well as the value of building "multinational maritime domain awareness," and a shared commitment to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. In addition to the Maritime Key Terrain Security Operation, the exercise featured defensive counter-landing live-fire drills, littoral maneuvers, amphibious operations, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief training, as well as various subject matter expert exchanges. Colonel Jason C. Armas, commanding officer of the U.S. Marine Rotational Force-Darwin 25.3 Marine Air-Ground Task Force, said: "Training shoulder to shoulder with our Philippine Marine Corps partners isn't just about building interoperability-it's about forging trust in the crucible of shared hardship and preparing together to respond with speed and precision to any crisis, anywhere, anytime." Major General Arturo G. Rojas, commandant of the Philippine Marine Corps, said: "This year's KAMANDAG is a testament to the enduring partnership between the Philippine Marine Corps and the United States Marine Corps. By operating jointly in complex environments, we are strengthening our capability to defend the archipelago and contributing to a secure and stable Indo-Pacific." It was unclear whether the NMESIS will remain in the Philippines after the conclusion of the exercise. A U.S. Army Mid-Range Capability missile system, which was initially deployed for exercises, has been stationed in the Southeast Asian country since April of last year. Related Articles Iran Threatens Strike on Israel as US Talks Hang in BalanceUS Military Pullback in Africa Opens Door for China and RussiaTrump Says Iran Deal Close To Avoid 'A Lot of People Dead'List of Fast Food Chain Hours for Memorial Day 2025 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Newsweek
27-05-2025
- General
- Newsweek
Photos Show New US Missiles Sent to China's Doorstep
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The United States has once again deployed its NMESIS ship-sinking missile system on a Philippine island group for military drills, amid the presence of the Chinese navy in nearby waters. Newsweek has reached out to the Chinese Defense Ministry for comment by email. Why It Matters NMESIS stands for Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System—a U.S. Marine Corps ground-based launcher armed with two Naval Strike Missiles, capable of striking sea targets 115 miles away. It is designed for maritime warfare operations in the Pacific Ocean. During Exercise Balikatan 2025, held from April 21 to May 9 in the Philippines, the U.S. Marine Corps simulated anti-ship operations using NMESIS on Batan Island in the Luzon Strait—a key gateway for China's naval deployments beyond its surrounding waters. The Philippines plays a significant role in America's Indo-Pacific strategy. It is one of three nations—alongside Japan and Taiwan—that form a containment strategy known as the First Island Chain, aimed at restricting China's naval access to the broader Western Pacific Ocean. What To Know In a video released by the U.S. Marine Corps, a NMESIS launcher was shown being airlifted by a KC-130J transport aircraft to the Batanes Island chain—located north of the main Philippine island Luzon—on Sunday for the Maritime Key Terrain Security Operation. The operation, aimed at rehearsing the defense of key maritime terrain, is part of Exercise KAMANDAG 9—a war game involving the U.S., the Philippines, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom, scheduled from Monday to June 6 and taking place across the Philippines. Unlike Exercise Balikatan 2025, where no live missiles were launched by the NMESIS, the weapon will be employed in a live-fire drill during Exercise KAMANDAG 9 "if the weather permits," Philippine media outlet ABS-CBN reported, citing the country's marine corps. KAMANDAG—an acronym for the Filipino phrase "Kaagapay Ng Mga Mandirigma Ng Dagat," which translates to "Cooperation of Warriors of the Sea"—is an annual bilateral drill led by the U.S. and Philippine marine corps since 2016 to strengthen the allies' capabilities. This year's exercise underscored what the U.S. Marine Corps called the "global importance of maritime security," as well as the value of building "multinational maritime domain awareness," and a shared commitment to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. A Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System is seen during the Maritime Key Terrain Security Operation, part of Exercise KAMANDAG 9 in the Philippine Batanes Islands on May 25, 2025. A Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System is seen during the Maritime Key Terrain Security Operation, part of Exercise KAMANDAG 9 in the Philippine Batanes Islands on May 25, 2025. Cpl. Malia Sparks/U.S. Marine Corps In addition to the Maritime Key Terrain Security Operation, the exercise featured defensive counter-landing live-fire drills, littoral maneuvers, amphibious operations, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief training, as well as various subject matter expert exchanges. What People Are Saying Colonel Jason C. Armas, commanding officer of the U.S. Marine Rotational Force-Darwin 25.3 Marine Air-Ground Task Force, said: "Training shoulder to shoulder with our Philippine Marine Corps partners isn't just about building interoperability—it's about forging trust in the crucible of shared hardship and preparing together to respond with speed and precision to any crisis, anywhere, anytime." Major General Arturo G. Rojas, commandant of the Philippine Marine Corps, said: "This year's KAMANDAG is a testament to the enduring partnership between the Philippine Marine Corps and the United States Marine Corps. By operating jointly in complex environments, we are strengthening our capability to defend the archipelago and contributing to a secure and stable Indo-Pacific." What Happens Next A Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System is seen after being transported by a KC-130J aircraft to the Batanes Islands during Exercise KAMANDAG 9 on May 25, 2025. A Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System is seen after being transported by a KC-130J aircraft to the Batanes Islands during Exercise KAMANDAG 9 on May 25, 2025. Cpl. Malia Sparks/U.S. Marine Corps It was unclear whether the NMESIS will remain in the Philippines after the conclusion of the exercise. A U.S. Army Mid-Range Capability missile system, which was initially deployed for exercises, has been stationed in the Southeast Asian country since April of last year.
