US deploys NMESIS in Baliktan amid Chinese ships

On Saturday, April 26, 2025, the US Marine Corps deployed its land-based missile system, Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS), during the Balikatan 74 joint military exercise in northern Luzon.

Photos and videos released on Monday, April 28 by both nations showed soldiers transporting NMESIS to test their ability to position it for potential threats.

The system was deployed for the first time in the Philippines as part of Exercise Balikatan 2025, with hauling and offloading conducted via a C-130 aircraft on April 26.

Since its launch on April 21, about six Chinese research vessels have been detected near Batanes province, while Philippine Navy reports noted monitoring of a Chinese aircraft carrier group and spy ship off the northernmost islands.

Balikatan 74 began on April 21 and will conclude on May 9, involving around 17,000 troops from both nations to practice repelling an invasion in response to China's actions in the South China Sea.