3rd MLR Deploys NMESIS to the Philippines for Balikatan 25 Exercise

Photo By Sgt. Eric Huynh | U.S. Marine Corps Pfc.

After U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's announcement during his visit to Manila on March 28, the U.S. Marines of the 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment (3d MLR) deployed the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) to the Philippines in support of Exercise Balikatan 25. This marks the inaugural deployment of the newly developed Marine Corps weapon system to the Philippines and serves as a significant step forward in enhancing the U.S.-Philippines defense alliance.

The 3d MLR will take part in the field training segment of Balikatan 25, contributing to several key operations including Integrated Air and Missile Defense at the Naval Education Training and Doctrine Command, Maritime Key Terrain Security Operations in Northern Luzon and the Batanes Islands, Counter Landing Live Fire exercises in Cagayan, and a Maritime Strike exercise conducted at sea involving multiple launch systems, sensors, and aircraft.

NMESIS will play a central role in the Maritime Key Terrain Security Operations in Northern Luzon and the Batanes Islands. During this operation, Marines from the 3d Littoral Combat Team’s Medium-Range Missile Battery and Philippine Marines from the 4th Marine Brigade will use air support from the U.S. Army’s 25th Combat Aviation Brigade and the U.S. Air Force’s 39th Tactical Airlift Squadron to airlift NMESIS launchers from Northern Luzon to various islands in the Batanes chain. Once deployed, U.S. and Philippine Marines will collaborate to establish a Fires Expeditionary Advanced Base.

In Northern Luzon, the AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task-Oriented Radar (G/ATOR), operated by the Tactical Air Control Element of the 3rd Littoral Anti-Air Battalion, will monitor the airspace within the 3d MLR's operational zone to support maritime strike operations and airspace coordination.

The radar’s sensor data will be transmitted via tactical data links to the Fires and Air Direction Element (FADE), meeting the commander’s information-sharing needs. From there, the data will be relayed to the Battery Operations Center, where it will be converted into tracking and targeting information before being sent back to the Fires Expeditionary Advanced Base (EAB).

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Although the 3rd Littoral Combat Team’s Medium-Range Missile Battery won’t be conducting live NMESIS launches during Exercise Balikatan, the 3d MLR’s FADE will take advantage of NMESIS deployment across islands in the Luzon Strait to carry out simulated fire missions.

“Bringing NMESIS into the Philippines in cooperation with the Philippine government and armed forces marks a meaningful advancement in reinforcing U.S.-Philippine ties,” said Colonel John G. Lehane, Commanding Officer of the 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment. “The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are among our most trusted allies, and we at 3d MLR are eager to return and continue training alongside our Philippine Marine Corps partners.”

For the past three years, the 3d MLR has sent Marines and Sailors to the Philippines for Exercise Balikatan at the invitation of the AFP. In 2023, the unit brought the AN/TPS-80 G/ATOR to the country for Marine Aviation Support Activity 23. In 2024, they conducted their first Maritime Key Terrain Security Operation, deploying Marines to Itbayat, Batan, and Mauvulis. For Balikatan 25, the AFP and the Philippine Marine Corps requested an expanded role that includes the deployment of NMESIS as part of the joint training effort.

The NMESIS enhances the 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment’s ability to deny access to maritime areas, boosts naval cooperation, and reinforces deterrence by expanding the Joint Force’s land- and sea-based targeting and engagement capabilities. In the Philippines, the system also contributes to developing defense operations aligned with the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ coastal defense strategy.

This year marks the 40th edition of Exercise Balikatan, the long-standing annual joint training between the U.S. military and the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Held from April 21 to May 9, Balikatan 25 reinforces the strong U.S.-Philippine alliance, improves combined operational readiness, and underscores a shared commitment to peace and stability in the region.

The 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment is a specialized U.S. Marine Corps unit focused on amphibious and littoral operations. Based in Oahu, Hawaii, and active across the Indo-Pacific, 3d MLR works to advance regional stability and security through close collaboration with allies and partner nations.