The US-made NMESIS anti-ship missile system will see action in the Philippine-United States joint “Balikatan” (shoulder-to-shoulder) military exercises this year.
Balikatan assistant exercise director, AFP Brig. Gen. Michael Logico, confirmed this matter in a recent press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, but stressed that he “will just say it will take part in one of our exercises. That’s all I can say.”
Logico declined to give other specific details on the weapon system for security reasons. “The NMESIS, I will confirm, is already in the country, but I will not say where,” he added.
He also declined to comment on what specific exercise the NMESIS anti-ship missile system would see action in. NMESIS refers to the “Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System.” It is a highly mobile coastal anti-ship missile “with the ability to strike hostile surface vessels from land-based positions.”
The weapon has a range of around 180 to 200 nautical miles. On March 28, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the NMESIS and other “advanced capabilities” the US forces will train their Filipino counterparts in their use, “will greatly help the Philippines in defending its sovereignty.”
Logico said around 14,000 military personnel from the Philippines, US and Australia will take part in the Balikatan exercise scheduled on April 21 to May 9, this year.
“We are looking at more or less 14,000 participants from all sides. We have an increase in the number of participants with around 200 from the Australian Defense Force (ADF).” he shared, adding that would also be observers the Japan Self-Defense Force, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Colombia, to name a few.
When asked about reactions from China regarding the locations of the “Balikatan” exercises, Logico said “every country has absolute and inalienable right to defend itself.”
“But as I’ve always said, every country, big or small, has the absolute and inalienable right to defend itself. That means we also have a right to train for defense and with our partners, our treaty allies. So what we are just doing is in consonance with our Mutual Defense Treaty,” he stressed.