NMESIS, Mistral 3, and other precision weapon systems at Balikatan 2025 reflect an expanded exercise focused on territorial defense and Philippine military modernization.
U.S. and Philippine forces debuted new missiles at the 40th iteration of Balikatan, which has grown in complexity, scope, and size over the years. The unveiling of these precision weapons also came at a pivotal moment amid increased U.S.-Philippine defense cooperation in the face of Chinese aggression in the South China Sea. Both nations achieved milestones during the exercise, most notably through Washington’s deployment of Marine Corps anti-ship systems in the Luzon Strait and Manila’s first-ever surface-to-air missile launch at sea via BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150).
NMESIS Deploys to Batanes: Sea Denial Potential in the Luzon Strait
The 3rd Littoral Regiment deployed the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) in the early hours of April 26th to Basco via an Air Force C-130, marking the first-ever deployment of American anti-ship missiles in the Luzon Strait. Additional systems were sent to Batan, another island in the strategically located Batanes island chain, and Army aviation provided transportation for the Marine missileers. While no Naval Strike Missiles were fired from the unmanned anti-ship missile launchers, Balikatan 2025 saw the Marine Littoral Regiment’s Medium-Range Missile Battery practice notional targeting and strikes throughout the Luzon Strait.
From their deployments on Basco and Batan, NMESIS could threaten targets up to 185 kilometers away within the 250-wide Luzon Strait. Forces stationed on islands within the Luzon Strait could deny or harass adversaries attempting to transit the first island chain choke point. The significance of this maritime geography has only grown amid cross-strait tensions between Taiwan and China, and subsequently Manila’s of the spillover effect a conflict between the two would have on its territories in the north.
Washington’s deployment of the low-observable anti-ship missiles follows last year’s Balikatan deployment of the Mid-Range Capability, a ground-based Mark 41 vertical launching system capable of targeting mainland China with its Tomahawk cruise missiles. The deployment sparked ire from Beijing, which repeatedly criticized the deployment for degrading regional stability.
Mistrals Fire from BRP Jose Rizal: First Philippine Navy Surface-to-air Missile Launch
After a botched live-fire attempt during the Philippine Navy’s 125th anniversary review in 2023, the service finally launched its first surface-to-air missile against U.S.-provided target drones off Zambales.
BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150), the country’s flagship, fired two Mistral 3 missiles at targets provided by Indo-Pacific Command’s Pacific Multi-Domain Training and Experimentation Capability and Threat Systems Management Office. While the Jose Rizal-class frigates had the French missiles since their commissioning, this was the first time the service was able to validate its surface-to-air missile capability. Jose Rizal participated alongside the Marine Air Defense Integrated System, Philippine Air Force SPYDER Philippines Air Defense System, and AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task-Oriented Radar in a combined integrated air and missile defense drill the day before the exercise.
While the test fire marked a milestone for the Philippine Navy, the MBDA missiles are short-ranged and could only provide a point-defense capability for the service’s warships. Newer vessels, such as the Miguel Malvar-class guided missile frigates, are set to give Manila expanded maritime air defense options via the Vertically Launched-MICA. BRP Miguel Malvar (FFG 06) supports up to 16 missiles. Yet, the range of both Mistral 3 at eight kilometers and VL-MICA at 20 kilometers still pales in comparison to the reach of other navalized missiles, such as SM-2, HQ-16, and Aster, that can hit targets dozens of kilometers away.
Spike Missiles Interdict Notional Landing Forces in the South China Sea
Philippine Navy fast attack craft and gunboats ripple-fired Spike missiles against floating targets and an unmanned surface vessel meant to represent a notional landing force during a Marine Corps coastal defense drill on the western coast of Palawan.
Multi-Purpose Attack Craft from the 4th Boat Attack Division and Acero-class patrol gunboats BRP Lolinato To-Ong (PG 902) and BRP Domingo Deluana (PG 905) utilized their auto cannons, machine guns, and Spike missiles to intercept a “simulated seaborne invasion.” Among the targets was a Hammerhead unmanned surface vessel-target, which was provided by U.S. forces for the exercise.
Designed and built by Israeli defense firm Rafael, the Spike series of missiles was originally envisioned to be used against armoured tanks, but has since expanded its target profiles against maritime threats. Spike-ER was operationalized by the Philippine Navy on the Multi-Purpose Attack Craft in 2018 as the service’s first surface-to-surface missile. Spike-NLOS, a beyond-line-of-sight variant capable of hitting targets up to 40 kilometers away, was procured by the service for the Acero-class patrol gunboats and AW-159 Wildcat helicopters.
AGM-84K SLAM-ER: A Missed Opportunity?
The main event of Balikatan 2025, a maritime strike on the ex-BRP Miguel Malvar (PS-19), was cut short when the WWII-era corvette sank during its transit to the exercise area. This event was to include several munitions, including the firing of a C-STAR C-700K from a Jose Rizal-class frigate.
Among the missed opportunities from the aborted maritime strike was the potential employment of the AGM-84K Standoff Land Attack Missile-Expanded Response from U.S. Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornets. Videos released from the service show the long-range cruise missile being attached to the fighter jets at Clark Air Base days before the aborted maritime strike activity. Marine Hornets were delayed from a similar sinking exercise during Marine Aviation Support Activity 2023 when the target ship was beached during a storm.
