Rappler
LOOK: US Marines’ NMESIS joins Balikatan 2025 drills in Cagayan, Batanes
The US Marine Corps deployed the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) for the first time in the Philippines during the Balikatan 2025 joint military exercise in northern Luzon.
Photos and videos were released on April 28, 2025, showing soldiers transporting the NMESIS, with the hauling and offloading through a C-130 aircraft occurring on April 26.
The system participated in combat exercises in Cagayan and Batanes provinces, areas near regional flashpoints like Taiwan and the South China Sea.
The exercise tested the capability of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and USMC to position the NMESIS, designed to target and deter hostile naval forces.
According to the AFP, the NMESIS provides a flexible and expedient sea denial capacity to the combined and joint force, bolstering the collective defense of both nations.
These exercises aim to strengthen security cooperation and enhance force interoperability in response to China's expansive claims in the region.
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