US NMESIS anti-ship missiles to remain in Philippines, local officials confirm

The Philippine Navy has said that examples of the US Marine Corps' NMESIS ground-based anti-ship missile system currently in the Philippines as part of recently concluded joint exercises will remain in the country.

The NMESIS systems that have been in the Philippines since April will be used for training purposes by the Philippine Marine Corps, Philippine Navy Spokesperson Captain John Percie Alcos confirmed in a press briefing on Tuesday, June 10.

Alcos did not disclose the missiles' current location in the country, citing operational security concerns.

The NMESIS missiles recently deployed in the Philippines were among the various weapon systems used in the 40th iteration of the Balikatan annual joint military exercise, which ran from April 21 to May 9, 2025. Other notable weapon systems that were used in the exercise include the US Army's HIMARS long-range rocket system.

This year saw the initial deployment of NMESIS in Balikatan. The anti-ship missiles that form part of the system were designed to be capable of striking surface targets up to 185 kilometres away.