The Philippine Navy on Tuesday announced that the United States’ Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) will remain in Manila for use in upcoming exercises.
“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,” said Philippine Navy spokesperson Captain John Percie Alcos during a press briefing.
Alcos declined to reveal the system’s exact location due to operational security, but confirmed it remains in the Philippines. The NMESIS, a ground-based anti-ship missile system, was first deployed in April for the annual Balikatan exercise with U.S. and Philippine forces.
It was later used again in the May KAMANDAG drills. While a live-fire exercise had been planned, it was replaced with simulated firing due to safety concerns.
“We made the most of the opportunity,” said Alcos. “Although the NMESIS was only simulated, we were able to fire both the 105mm and 155mm howitzers in a combined fires exercise.”
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline “US anti-ship missile system to remain in Philippines for training.”
