US Marines deploy new ship-killing missile system to Philippines
The U.S. Marine Corps has deployed the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) to the Philippines for the first time.
The deployment took place on April 26 during Exercise Balikatan 2025 on Batan Island.
This milestone represents the inaugural fielding of the Marine Corps’ NMESIS weapon system in the region and reflects the growing focus on maritime defense in the Pacific.
The new unmanned ship-lilling missile system was transported via U.S. Air Force C-130 aircraft from the 39th Airlift Squadron as part of the Maritime Key Terrain Security Operations event, which involved U.S. and Philippine formations operating across the Batanes archipelago.
“We are expeditionary by nature, and training on the Batanes with our Philippine allies and the precision fires capabilities of the NMESIS advances our mutual maritime defense in an austere and geographically dispersed environment,” said U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Michael Cederholm, commander of the U.S. Joint Task Force. “Today marks a significant day for the Marine Corps and an important step in our Force Design journey.”
The NMESIS platform provides a ground-based anti-ship missile capability, enhancing sea denial operations and maritime security in the region. It forms part of the Marine Corps’ modernization efforts aimed at improving its expeditionary combat effectiveness. The system’s deployment enables the joint force to rapidly position and engage maritime threats across a dispersed island environment.
Philippine Army Brig. Gen. Mike Logico, spokesperson for Exercise Balikatan, emphasized the importance of the training: “Every country big or small has an absolute and inalienable right to defend itself. Maritime Key Terrain Security Operations training increases our combined ability to secure and defend our territories.”
In addition to the NMESIS deployment, the U.S. Army’s 25th Combat Aviation Brigade provided air assault support for forces from the Philippine Army, Philippine Marine Corps, the U.S. Army’s 25th Infantry Division, and the U.S. Marine Corps’ 3d Marine Littoral Regiment (MLR).
