US anti-ship missile NMESIS now in PH as ‘security anxiety’ looms

MANILA, Philippines — American anti-ship missile Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) is now in the Philippines in a move seen to further bolster the latter's deterrence capability during what an expert deemed to be a period when “security anxiety” prevails.

Brigadier General Michael Logico, exercise director of Balikatan exercises, said on Tuesday that the NMESIS would be used for the annual war games of Manila and Washington from April 21 until May 9.

“I confirm that it is already in the country,” Logico said of NMESIS in a regular military briefing. “I will not say where, but it will be part of the exercises.”



READ: AFP on reports US sent another Typhon missile: ‘The more the merrier’

Trust and confidence

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth initially announced the deployment for Balikatan drills during his first visit to the Philippines last month.

For security expert Chester Cabalza, the deployment of NMESIS “proves the trust and confidence of the two security allies in terms of interoperability.”

Manila and Washington are bound by a Mutual Defense Treaty that requires each other’s defense in case of an armed attack.

“This deterrent force upholds the military transformation that Manila envisions to carry on amid security anxiety posed by Chinese Communist’s deployment of drones inside the Philippines’ internal waters,” Cabalza, president and founder of Manila-based think tank International Development and Security Cooperation, told INQUIRER.net in an interview on Tuesday.

Marcos OKs all Balikatan events

Logico said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. green-lighted all of the events in Balikatan during the military briefing “two weeks ago.”

“He is very interested in watching one of the events,” Logico added.

Asked what event Marcos is interested in, Logico said: “It's going to be the air and integrated air and missile defense exercise…He will be in a secured and classified location that I cannot reveal.”

No scale back

Washington will also deploy High Mobility Artillery Rocket System or Himars, Avenger weapon systems, fighter jets F-16 and F-18 during the bilateral war games, according to Col. Douglas Krugman, staff officer of 1st marine expeditionary force and one of senior exercise planners for Balikatan exercise this year.

"So, quite an interesting mix of equipment and quite a capable force we're bringing this year,” Krugman said during the same press briefing.

Logico also said this year’s Balikatan drills will see the deployment of all of the Philippine military's newly acquired assets.

Meanwhile, Australia and Japan will be active observers during the drills, while Czech Republic, Poland, and Colombia will also send observers, Logico added.

This year’s war games will see around 14,000 personnel from the US and Philippines, which is a bit fewer compared to previous years when the deployed troops breached the 17,000-mark.

“There is no scale back,” Logico said when asked if this has to do with the reported plan to shrink the US Army.

“Whether there is a reduction in the number of people, that is immaterial.”

2nd US missile

The NMESIS is the second US missile deployed to the Philippines.

The US midrange capability (MRC) Typhon missile arrived in the country from the United States on April 11, 2024, and was first used during the Balikatan exercises as well. It has stayed in the Philippines since and was last spotted in Ilocos Norte, a coastal province facing Taiwan, which China considers a renegade province subject to reunification.

Beijing has repeatedly objected to the arrival of the MRC in the Philippines, saying it incites geopolitical confrontation in the region.

READ: China renews call to pull out US missile in PH

When asked if the NMESIS, like MRC, would remain in the country even after Balikatan, Krugman said: “If there's another exercise going in the Philippines shortly after Balikatan and that equipment is appropriate and requested for it by the AFP, we would certainly look to participate in that exercise as well, but it is here for exercise purposes.”

To date, the Philippines has its own medium-range supersonic cruise missile, dubbed "BrahMos," which has a range of 290 to 400 kilometers and could travel at Mach 2.8, or about three times faster than the speed of sound.

(2025/04/15-11:58)