Latest news with #NavalStrikeMissile
GMA Network
10-07-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
No NMESIS missiles fired during Balikatan 2025
The United States Pacific Fleet on Thursday clarified that there was no Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) that was test-fired during the annual joint military drills between Manila and Washington last April. A spokesperson for the US Pacific Fleet refuted an earlier statement by US Navy Admiral Steve Koehler that such a missile system was fired in the Balikatan exercises. 'During the closing remarks of the Pacific Amphibious Leaders Symposium in Manila, Philippines, July 10, US Navy Admiral Steve Koehler, commander, US Pacific Fleet, misspoke when he stated in his speech that the United States test-fired the NMESIS during Balikatan. The NMESIS was deployed during Balikatan and took part in battle drills, but no missiles were fired,' the statement from the US Pacific Fleet read. During the closing ceremony of the Pacific Amphibious Leaders Symposium in Manila, Koehler said that NMESIS was used in a test fire during the joint military exercise held in Luzon. But he did not give further details. NMESIS is a ground-based anti-ship missile system deployed by the United States Marine Corps' (USMC) Marine Littoral Regiments for coastal defense and maritime security operations. The Naval Strike Missile has a range of up to 300 kilometers. The Philippine Marine Corps and the USMC also trained with NMESIS during the Kamandag Exercise in May. The Philippine Navy has said that the NMESIS will remain in the country for future military drills. NMESIS is the second advanced missile system from the US to be present in Philippine territory. —VBL, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
10-06-2025
- General
- GMA Network
PH Navy: US NMESIS anti-ship missiles to remain in country for more exercises
The Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) of the United States will remain in the country where it will take part in more exercises, the Philippine Navy said on Tuesday. 'This is to confirm that the NMESIS is still within the country and it will continue to be used by the Philippine Marine Corps for training purposes,' Philippine Navy spokesperson Captain John Percie Alcos said in a press briefing. 'As to its current location due to operational security, I cannot disclose that. But I can tell you that it's still inside the country,' he added. The 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 it fires has a range of up to 300 kilometers. The missile system was initially deployed to the Philippines in April to be used for this year's Balikatan Exercise between US and Filipino forces. The Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) and the USMC also trained with NMESIS during the Kamandag Exercise in May. Alcos said the initial plan to use the NMESIS for a live fire exercise in Kamandag did not proceed due to safety precautions. 'However, we simulated the firing. So we were able to make the most out of the training opportunity of having the NMESIS here,' Alcos said. 'And we were not only supposed to fire the NMESIS. It was supposed to be a combined fires exercise. Although the NMESIS was just simulated, we were able to fire the 105mm and 155mm howitzers,' he added. The NMESIS will be the second advanced missile system from the US to be present in Philippine territory. Last March, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) welcomed reports on the second deployment of the US Army's Typhon Mid-Range Capability (MRC) missile system in the country. Typhon can launch multipurpose missiles at targets that are thousands of kilometers away. —RF, GMA Integrated News
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.
