Latest news with #NavalStrikeMissile
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
See the ship-killing missile that US Marines deployed to a hot spot near Taiwan
US Marines stationed anti-ship missile launchers near Taiwan to deter Chinese aggression. It was the first time the NMESIS, a ground-based missile system, was deployed to the Philippines. China said it opposed US allies using Taiwan as an "excuse" to boost its military presence. The US Marines deployed new ship-killing missile launchers at a strategic chokepoint south of Taiwan to deter growing Chinese aggression in the Pacific. The Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) made its inaugural debut in the Philippines during Exercise Balikatan, which means "shoulder-to-shoulder" in Tagalog. More than 14,000 troops from the Philippines and the US participated in the exercise, which began on April 21 and runs until May 9, as well as contingents from Australia and, for the first time, and Japan, making it the largest iteration of the exercise to date. Developed to "simulate the defense of Philippine sovereignty," the NMESIS will be used in simulated fire drills taking place on the Batanes Islands, which are seen as key strategic locations near Taiwan and mainland China. The NMESIS fires a guided missile with the range to strike ships in the Bashi channel between the Batanes islands and Taiwan. Ground-based ship-killer The NMESIS is a missile system mounted on an uncrewed 4-wheel truck developed as part of the Force Design initiative, a modernization plan to restructure the US Marine Corps for naval expeditionary warfare, particularly in the Indo-Pacific. A standard NMESIS unit will include 18 launchers, and the Marines plan to field 14 such batteries by 2030 — three of which are planned to be stationed in the Pacific region. Naval Strike Missile The NMESIS is designed to fire the Naval Strike Missile (NSM), a long-range precision strike weapon designed to hit heavily defended surface ships and land targets. Manufactured by Norwegian defense supplier Kongsberg Defence Systems in partnership with RTX, NSMs are highly survivable and maneuverable with a range of over 120 miles. The subsonic, sea-skimming missiles, which cost nearly $2 million each, can accurately home in on a target without electronic interference, guided by an onboard infrared system, GPS, and terrain-based navigation. In November, Kongsberg was awarded a $900 million military contract to supply NSMs to the Navy and Marines. Uncrewed vehicle-launcher Carrying two ready-to-fire NSMs in its canisters, the NMESIS launcher is mounted on an uncrewed Joint Light Tactical Vehicle chassis known as ROGUE-Fires (Remotely Operated Ground Unit for Expeditionary Fires), which allow it to be controlled remotely or autonomously over difficult terrain. "Marines can control the ROGUE-Fires with a game-like remote controller or command multiple launchers to autonomously follow behind a leader vehicle," according to a Marine Corps statement. 'Full battle test' The three-week-long Balikatan exercises will focus on anti-ship, anti-air, and coastal defense drills simulating real-world combat, including missile defense, invasion deterrence, and live-fire and strike tests on a decommissioned vessel. "The full battle test is intended to take into consideration all of the regional security challenges that we face today, beginning in the South China Sea," Lieutenant General James Glynn, the US director for the exercise, said during a media briefing. Maj. Gen. Francisco Lorenzo, the Philippine director for Balikatan, said the drills were not intended to be a show of force against China but acknowledged that they could act as a deterrent against conflict in Taiwan. "The Balikatan exercise may probably help deter the conflict in Taiwan," Lorenzo said in a statement. "But for our concern, it is only for deterrence of any possible coercion or invasion to our country." Strategic chokepoints near Taiwan During Exercise Balikatan, the NMESIS launchers will be airlifted from Northern Luzon to the Batanes Islands, where US and Philippine Marines will establish an expeditionary fires base. Located about 120 miles from Taiwan's southern coast, the Batanes Islands are positioned near the Luzon Strait and the Bashi Channel, which connects the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea, setting up a significant — albeit high-risk — anti-access strategy against China. "The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access point to enter or exit the Pacific Ocean from the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait, and the deployment of NMESIS allows the US to assert control over that access," Ben Lewis, a cofounder of PLATracker, an organization that tracks Chinese military activity, told Naval News. With the anti-ship missile's baseline range of over 100 nautical miles, any vessel transiting in waters from the southern tip of Taiwan to northern Luzon could be targeted by the NMESIS deployment to the Batanes chain. Typhon missile launcher The military also temporarily deployed the mid-range Typhon missile system to the Laoag Airfield in northern Luzon as part of Exercise Balikatan in April 2024. Instead of being removed, the Typhon systems were relocated last December and will remain stationed in the Philippines indefinitely. Operated by the US Army, the Typhon Weapon System is capable of firing Tomahawk cruise missiles, which have a range of 1,000 miles, and SM-6 interceptor missiles, which can hit targets nearly 300 miles away. Threat to China's area denial strategy In mid-April, China condemned the joint US-Philippine military drills, saying it "firmly opposes any country" using Taiwan as an "excuse" to strengthen its military posture in the region and "provoke tension and confrontation." "The parties concerned are advised not to provoke on the Taiwan issue, and those who play with fire will burn themselves," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said during an April 21 briefing. Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Insider
See the ship-killing missile that US Marines deployed to a hot spot near Taiwan
US Marines stationed anti-ship missile launchers near Taiwan to deter Chinese aggression. It was the first time the NMESIS, a ground-based missile system, was deployed to the Philippines. China said it opposed US allies using Taiwan as an "excuse" to boost its military presence. The US Marines deployed new ship-killing missile launchers at a strategic chokepoint south of Taiwan to deter growing Chinese aggression in the Pacific. The Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) made its inaugural debut in the Philippines during Exercise Balikatan, which means "shoulder-to-shoulder" in Tagalog. More than 14,000 troops from the Philippines and the US participated in the exercise, which began on April 21 and runs until May 9, as well as contingents from Australia and, for the first time, and Japan, making it the largest iteration of the exercise to date. Developed to "simulate the defense of Philippine sovereignty," the NMESIS will be used in simulated fire drills taking place on the Batanes Islands, which are seen as key strategic locations near Taiwan and mainland China. The NMESIS fires a guided missile with the range to strike ships in the Bashi channel between the Batanes islands and Taiwan. Ground-based ship-killer The NMESIS is a missile system mounted on an uncrewed 4-wheel truck developed as part of the Force Design initiative, a modernization plan to restructure the US Marine Corps for naval expeditionary warfare, particularly in the Indo-Pacific. A standard NMESIS unit will include 18 launchers, and the Marines plan to field 14 such batteries by 2030 — three of which are planned to be stationed in the Pacific region. Naval Strike Missile The NMESIS is designed to fire the Naval Strike Missile (NSM), a long-range precision strike weapon designed to hit heavily defended surface ships and land targets. Manufactured by Norwegian defense supplier Kongsberg Defence Systems in partnership with RTX, NSMs are highly survivable and maneuverable with a range of over 120 miles. The subsonic, sea-skimming missiles, which cost nearly $2 million each, can accurately home in on a target without electronic interference, guided by an onboard infrared system, GPS, and terrain-based navigation. In November, Kongsberg was awarded a $900 million military contract to supply NSMs to the Navy and Marines. Uncrewed vehicle-launcher Carrying two ready-to-fire NSMs in its canisters, the NMESIS launcher is mounted on an uncrewed Joint Light Tactical Vehicle chassis known as ROGUE-Fires (Remotely Operated Ground Unit for Expeditionary Fires), which allow it to be controlled remotely or autonomously over difficult terrain. "Marines can control the ROGUE-Fires with a game-like remote controller or command multiple launchers to autonomously follow behind a leader vehicle," according to a Marine Corps statement. 'Full battle test' The three-week-long Balikatan exercises will focus on anti-ship, anti-air, and coastal defense drills simulating real-world combat, including missile defense, invasion deterrence, and live-fire and strike tests on a decommissioned vessel. "The full battle test is intended to take into consideration all of the regional security challenges that we face today, beginning in the South China Sea," Lieutenant General James Glynn, the US director for the exercise, said during a media briefing. Maj. Gen. Francisco Lorenzo, the Philippine director for Balikatan, said the drills were not intended to be a show of force against China but acknowledged that they could act as a deterrent against conflict in Taiwan. "The Balikatan exercise may probably help deter the conflict in Taiwan," Lorenzo said in a statement. "But for our concern, it is only for deterrence of any possible coercion or invasion to our country." Strategic chokepoints near Taiwan During Exercise Balikatan, the NMESIS launchers will be airlifted from Northern Luzon to the Batanes Islands, where US and Philippine Marines will establish an expeditionary fires base. Located about 120 miles from Taiwan's southern coast, the Batanes Islands are positioned near the Luzon Strait and the Bashi Channel, which connects the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea, setting up a significant — albeit high-risk — anti-access strategy against China. "The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access point to enter or exit the Pacific Ocean from the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait, and the deployment of NMESIS allows the US to assert control over that access," Ben Lewis, a cofounder of PLATracker, an organization that tracks Chinese military activity, told Naval News. With the anti-ship missile's baseline range of over 100 nautical miles, any vessel transiting in waters from the southern tip of Taiwan to northern Luzon could be targeted by the NMESIS deployment to the Batanes chain. Typhon missile launcher The military also temporarily deployed the mid-range Typhon missile system to the Laoag Airfield in northern Luzon as part of Exercise Balikatan in April 2024. Instead of being removed, the Typhon systems were relocated last December and will remain stationed in the Philippines indefinitely. Operated by the US Army, the Typhon Weapon System is capable of firing Tomahawk cruise missiles, which have a range of 1,000 miles, and SM-6 interceptor missiles, which can hit targets nearly 300 miles away. Threat to China's area denial strategy In mid-April, China condemned the joint US-Philippine military drills, saying it "firmly opposes any country" using Taiwan as an "excuse" to strengthen its military posture in the region and "provoke tension and confrontation." "The parties concerned are advised not to provoke on the Taiwan issue, and those who play with fire will burn themselves," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said during an April 21 briefing.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
This unit will be the next to field the Corps' ship-killing missile
The Marines are slated to receive the first batches of four dozen mobile fires and missile platforms key to the Corps' plans to fight dispersed across multiple islands alongside the Navy. Between now and March 2026, the Corps will receive batches of its new Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System, or NMESIS, which includes a Naval Strike Missile mounted on a Joint Light Tactical Vehicle platform with semi-autonomous and autonomous capabilities to launch remotely. The system provides coverage for Navy and partner vessels from coastal positions and gives joint forces combined land and sea targeting options. It is the Corps' first modern ship-killing missile. The first six systems were fielded to the 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment in November, Nick Pierce, product manager for NMESIS at Marine Corps Systems Command, told Marine Corps Times ahead of the annual Modern Day Marine exposition. Osh Kosh Defense unveils new version of Marine Corps remote fires vehicle at Army show 'Third MLR has an enhanced sea denial capability and is positioned at the forefront of strategic transformation,' Lt. Col. Timothy Love, 3rd Littoral Combat Team commander, said in a November release. The 3rd MLR is the Corps' first littoral regiment, a new concept that combines a slimmer infantry battalion, improved radar and sensors and a variety of force and reconnaissance packages to assist joint commanders. The Hawaii-based unit emerged in 2021. The service has since established the 12th MLR on Okinawa, Japan, with plans for a third rotational regiment on Guam. Those will begin fielding with six of the NMESIS systems set for the 12th MLR starting in March 2026, Pierce said. The Marine artillery schoolhouse at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, is also set to receive a system to train Marines. Those fielded already to 3rd MLR are considered 'block 0' and will be replaced with six upgraded 'block I' versions with more capabilities, also starting next year. The upgrade eliminates 'swivel chair fires,' in which Marines relay data by hand. Instead, the block I version will have digital fires for faster and more accurate strikes. In total, the Corps plans to have 261 systems in its inventory by 2033, Pierce said. Osh Kosh Defense unveiled its new multirocket launch system — the Remotely Operated Ground Unit for Expeditionary Fires, or ROGUE Fires system, which also holds the NMESIS — as another option for the Marine Corps and possibly the Army at the Association of the U.S. Army's Global Force Symposium in Huntsville, Alabama, in March. The combined system uses the JLTV with remote controls and mounts a Naval Strike Missile on the frame, giving users a mobile missile system in a single package. This aligns with the Marines' stated role: to island hop and destroy enemy ships and targets ahead of U.S. Navy ships.
Business Insider
23-04-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
The Marines are deploying these new ship and drone killers to a strategic US ally in the Pacific
The Marines announced the deployment of the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) and Marine Air Defense Integrated System (MADIS) last week. The anti-ship and counter-drone systems will both be in the Philippines during the annual Balikatan exercise, which aims to strengthen joint US-Philippine operations. Ship killers NMESIS is a land-based anti-ship Naval Strike Missile launcher on a Joint Light Tactical Vehicle. First fielded late last year with the 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment, the weapon is designed to provide enhanced sea denial capability. Its involvement in Balikatan, the Marines said, was to strengthen deterrence and add to larger coastal defense strategies. This marks its first deployment to the Philippines, which Col. John G. Lehane, the commanding officer of the 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment, called "a significant step in the right direction for the reaffirmation and strengthening of US-Philippine relations." During Balikatan, the NMESIS will participate in simulated fires exercises during Maritime Key Terrain Security Operations in Northern Luzon and the Batanes Islands, with several launchers transported to multiple islands in the Batanes chain. The Batanes are located in the Luzon Strait between the Philippines and Taiwan. The waterways there connect the Philippine Sea and South China Sea. In previous Balikatan exercises, US and Philippine forces have practiced securing these islands as strategically important locations near Taiwan and mainland China. Anti-ship capabilities are recognized as essential in a Pacific fight given the role that naval forces are expected to play. China, a top rival in the region, has the world's largest navy. And it's shipbuilding juggernaut is continuing to build more vessels. Norwegian defense firm Kongsberg makes the Naval Strike Missile fired by NMESIS. Last November, it received a contract worth roughly $900 million from the Navy and Marines for the missile. Drone killers MADIS is a ground-based air defense system that like NMESIS is mounted on a JLTV. It will be involved in live-fire training, its second after a training event in Hawaii earlier this year. Marines with the 3rd Littoral Anti-Air Battalion of the 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment received the weapon last December. Designed to target uncrewed aerial systems, or drones, "MADIS is a unique weapon system that enhances both the survivability and lethality of 3d MLR by extending the reach of the airspace over which the formation has control, and by giving tactical flexibility to the friendly elements operating within our area of operations," Lehane said. The 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment was established for combat operations in austere and distributed maritime environments; essentially, it was made for war in the Pacific. When paired with NMESIS, MADIS helps increase the survivability of US and partner forces conducting maritime strikes by defending them from enemy drones and UAVs, Lehane said. During the exercise, the Philippine forces will also be conducting a demonstration of their counter-UAS systems. The conflict in Ukraine and rapid technological development in this space has highlighted the importance of drones, as well as the capabilities to effectively counter them. The deployment of both systems for Balikatan is an important element of ongoing security efforts between the US and the Philippines amid Chinese aggression in the region, particularly toward Philippine vessels operating in the South China Sea, as well as concerns of a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan. These are often seen as potential flashpoints.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The Marines are deploying these new ship and drone killers to a strategic US ally in the Pacific
US Marines are deploying new anti-ship and anti-drone systems to the Philippines. NMESIS and MADIS will be placed in key areas for a joint exercise. It's the first NMESIS deployment to the Philippines and the second MADIS live-fire demo since it was fielded late last year. The US Marine Corps is deploying two new combat systems designed to counter key airborne and maritime threats to a strategic ally in the Western Pacific. The Marines announced the deployment of the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) and Marine Air Defense Integrated System (MADIS) last week. The anti-ship and counter-drone systems will both be in the Philippines during the annual Balikatan exercise, which aims to strengthen joint US-Philippine operations. NMESIS is a land-based anti-ship Naval Strike Missile launcher on a Joint Light Tactical Vehicle. First fielded late last year with the 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment, the weapon is designed to provide enhanced sea denial capability. Its involvement in Balikatan, the Marines said, was to strengthen deterrence and add to larger coastal defense strategies. This marks its first deployment to the Philippines, which Col. John G. Lehane, the commanding officer of the 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment, called "a significant step in the right direction for the reaffirmation and strengthening of US-Philippine relations." During Balikatan, the NMESIS will participate in simulated fires exercises during Maritime Key Terrain Security Operations in Northern Luzon and the Batanes Islands, with several launchers transported to multiple islands in the Batanes chain. The Batanes are located in the Luzon Strait between the Philippines and Taiwan. The waterways there connect the Philippine Sea and South China Sea. In previous Balikatan exercises, US and Philippine forces have practiced securing these islands as strategically important locations near Taiwan and mainland China. Anti-ship capabilities are recognized as essential in a Pacific fight given the role that naval forces are expected to play. China, a top rival in the region, has the world's largest navy. And it's shipbuilding juggernaut is continuing to build more vessels. Norwegian defense firm Kongsberg makes the Naval Strike Missile fired by NMESIS. Last November, it received a contract worth roughly $900 million from the Navy and Marines for the missile. MADIS is a ground-based air defense system that like NMESIS is mounted on a JLTV. It will be involved in live-fire training, its second after a training event in Hawaii earlier this year. Marines with the 3rd Littoral Anti-Air Battalion of the 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment received the weapon last December. Designed to target uncrewed aerial systems, or drones, "MADIS is a unique weapon system that enhances both the survivability and lethality of 3d MLR by extending the reach of the airspace over which the formation has control, and by giving tactical flexibility to the friendly elements operating within our area of operations," Lehane said. The 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment was established for combat operations in austere and distributed maritime environments; essentially, it was made for war in the Pacific. When paired with NMESIS, MADIS helps increase the survivability of US and partner forces conducting maritime strikes by defending them from enemy drones and UAVs, Lehane said. During the exercise, the Philippine forces will also be conducting a demonstration of their counter-UAS systems. The conflict in Ukraine and rapid technological development in this space has highlighted the importance of drones, as well as the capabilities to effectively counter them. The deployment of both systems for Balikatan is an important element of ongoing security efforts between the US and the Philippines amid Chinese aggression in the region, particularly toward Philippine vessels operating in the South China Sea, as well as concerns of a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan. These are often seen as potential flashpoints. This year's Balikatan marks the 40th iteration of the exercise, the largest bilateral training between Washington and Manila. Read the original article on Business Insider
