US Ally Keeps American Missiles at Choke Point Near China

The Philippines, a mutual defense treaty ally of the United States, said that an American missile system capable of sinking warships will remain in the country for training purposes.
Newsweek reached out to the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command for comment via email. The Chinese defense and foreign ministries did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System, or NMESIS, is a ground-based launcher equipped with two missiles designed to target enemy ships. It is part of the U.S. Marine Corps' maritime strategy in the Pacific, where China is expanding its naval presence.
The American anti-ship missile system was first deployed to the Philippines in late April for Exercise Balikatan 2025 and remained in the country for Exercise KAMANDAG 9 in late May. It participated in the drills from the Philippines' Batanes Islands in the Luzon Strait.
The waterway located north of the Philippines serves as a key gateway through the First Island Chain for China's naval deployments into the broader Pacific. The island defense line, comprising Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines, is designed to keep China's navy in check.
Captain John Percie Alcos, spokesperson for the Philippine Navy, said on Tuesday that the NMESIS remains in the country, where it will be used to train the Philippine Marine Corps. He declined to disclose the location of the U.S. missile system, citing operational security.
The announcement comes after a pair of Chinese aircraft carriers, the CNS Liaoning and CNS Shandong,transited near the Philippines for deployments beyond the First Island Chain.
Without naming a specific country, the official said that the presence of the NMESIS, capable of striking targets over 115 miles away, serves as a deterrent to those who intend to conduct "illegal, coercive, aggressive, and deceptive actions" against the Philippines.
The Philippines has territorial disputes with China over maritime features in the South China Sea, often resulting in confrontations and clashes between their naval forces. Washington has reaffirmed its security commitment to Manila under a 1951 mutual defense treaty.
The NMESIS became the second U.S. missile system stationed in the Philippines following joint exercises. A U.S. Army Mid-Range Capability (MRC) missile system has remained in the Southeast Asian country "indefinitely" after participating in a drill in April last year.
Captain John Percie Alcos, spokesperson for the Philippine Navy, at a press briefing on Tuesday: "The NMESIS will remain here in our country for as long as training opportunities are still there for us, for us to use that particular military equipment so that our Marines can better conduct combined operations with their counterparts."
The U.S. Third Marine Division, in a press release in April: "The NMESIS provides [the U.S. Third Marine Littoral Regiment] with enhanced sea denial capability, deepens naval integration, and strengthens deterrence by extending the Joint Force's ability to target and engage from both land and sea. In the Philippines, the NMESIS will also aid in shaping defensive capabilities in accordance with the [the Armed Forces of the Philippines]'s coastal defense strategy."
It remains to be seen whether the Philippines will consider acquiring the NMESIS to counter threats posed by the Chinese navy, the world's largest by hull count. The U.S. has been equipping its Pacific allies and partners with various types of anti-ship missile systems.
Related Articles
Video Shows Chinese 'Militia' Ship Near US Ally's Disputed TerritoryFootage Shows Chinese Ships Near US Ally's Disputed Island BaseVideo Shows US Ally Confronting China in Contested WatersUS Ally Sends Strong Warning to China
2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Politico

38 minutes ago

• Politico

Mahmoud Khalil vows to continue protests after release from detention

NEWARK, New Jersey — A Palestinian activist who was detained for more than three months pushed his infant son's stroller with one hand and cheered as he was welcomed home Saturday by supporters including U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Mahmoud Khalil greeted friends and spoke briefly to reporters at New Jersey's Newark International Airport a day after leaving a federal immigration facility in Louisiana. A former Columbia University graduate student and symbol of President Donald Trump 's clampdown on campus protests, he vowed to continue protesting Israel and the war in Gaza. 'The U.S. government is funding this genocide, and Columbia University is investing in this genocide,' he said. 'This is why I will continue to protest with every one of you. Not only if they threaten me with detention. Even if they would kill me, I would still speak up for Palestine.' Joining Khalil at the airport, Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said his detention violated the First Amendment and was 'an affront to every American.' 'He has been accused, baselessly, of horrific allegations simply because the Trump administration and our overall establishment disagrees with his political speech,' she said. 'The Trump administration knows that they are waging a losing legal battle,' Ocasio-Cortez added. 'They are violating the law, and they know that they are violating the law.' Khalil, a 30-year-old legal resident whose wife gave birth during his 104 days of detention, said he also will speak up for the immigrants he left behind in the detention center. 'Whether you are a citizen, an immigrant, anyone in this land, you're not illegal. That doesn't make you less of a human,' he said. Khalil was not accused of breaking any laws during the protests at Columbia. However the administration has said noncitizens who participate in such demonstrations should be expelled from the country for expressing views it considers to be antisemitic and 'pro-Hamas,' referring to the Palestinian militant group that attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Khalil was released after U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz said it would be 'highly, highly unusual' for the government to continue detaining a legal resident who was unlikely to flee and had not been accused of any violence. The government filed notice Friday evening that it was appealing Khalil's release.

USA Today

an hour ago

• USA Today

Huckabee: State Department is evacuating Americans from Israel amid Iran conflict

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee also posted actions people can take to remain safe including learning the location of the nearest bomb shelters. The State Department has begun evacuating American citizens and permanent residents from Israel and the West Bank, U.S Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee announced on social media as the Israel-Iran war enters a second week. 'The Department of State has begun assisted departure flights from Israel,' Huckabee wrote in a post on X on June 21 asking people seeking government assistance to fill out a form. Huckabee also posted actions people can take to remain safe including learning the location of the nearest bomb shelters, avoiding large gatherings and monitoring local media. The State Department did not immediately respond to questions asking about the number of Americans it expects to retrieve from Israel. The conflict started a week ago when Israel began conducting airstrikes against Iranian nuclear and military sites, primarily targeting uranium enrichment facilities to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. The two countries have been engaged in aerial strikes while President Donald Trump is mulling over the possibility of U.S. involvement to help Israel destroy Iranian nuclear facilities. Hundreds of Americans have left Iran in the last week, according to an internal State Department cable seen by Reuters. Trump is expected meet his national security team on the evening of June 21 to discuss possible U.S. involvement in the conflict .

Newsweek

2 hours ago

• Newsweek

State Dept Starts Exit Flights From Israel as Trump Mulls War Entry

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The U.S. State Department has begun "assisted departure flights" for U.S. citizens and lawful residents out of Israel, according to a notice issued Saturday. The move comes as President Donald Trump is expected to meet with his National Security Council on Saturday evening to discuss the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict. Newsweek has reached out to the State Department for comment via email on Saturday. The U.S. embassy in Israel directed Newsweek to the State Department's media inquiry form. Why It Matters Over the past few days, the conflict between Israel and Iran has escalated dramatically, with Trump calling for the evacuation of Tehran, Iran's capital city home to over 9.5 million people. Israel initially struck Tehran and several other cities in "Operation Rising Lion," a campaign it said was meant to preempt a planned Iranian attack and disrupt Iran's nuclear capabilities. Iran, which has said its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, has since retaliated, though Israeli defense systems—bolstered by U.S. military technology—have intercepted about 99 percent of incoming missile fire, according to Israeli officials in Saturday morning in an X, formerly Twitter, post. Iran hit a hospital in southern Israel on Thursday, and local reports noted that buildings in Tel Aviv were on fire from Iranian missiles on Friday. The U.S. is Israel's closest ally, providing billions of dollars in military aid annually. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Thursday that Trump is expected to make a decision about whether to directly support Israel in its attacks against Iran within the next two weeks. What To Know The State Department on Saturday issued a notice with information for U.S. citizens and lawful residents in Iran and Israel on how to leave the countries. It said, "The Department of State has begun assisted departure flights from Israel," but did not provide further details, including the number or origin of the flights. The State Department has not responded to Newsweek's request for comment as of Saturday afternoon. The government hasn't offered such flights since the beginning of the war between Hamas and Israel that started on October 7, 2023. Individuals seeking U.S. government assistance to depart, should complete the crisis intake form on the State Department's website. Duplicate requests may cause delays, so people are encouraged to file it once. "U.S. citizens seeking to depart Israel or the West Bank should take the first available option, even if it is not your first choice of destination," the notice stated. It addressed that there are third parties assisting people to leave Israel via land borders to Jordan and Egypt as well as by sea to Cyprus. "While we are not able to endorse any providers, we know some have been able to successfully help U.S. citizens. The U.S. Embassy is also aware that there are commercial opportunities to depart Israel by ship, and U.S. citizens should check local media if other commercial opportunities arise to depart as we may not be able to provide the information before such travel options sell out," the notice reads. U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee posted on his X, formerly Twitter, about the announcement and wrote, "'Operation Exodus' is helping US Citizens evacuate Israel. We can't part the Red Sea, but are parting the 'Red Tape' to help people who wish to leave!" He added that the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem "has arranged for masses to leave & our team is working around the clock to assist." The post continued: "Once on the list you will find out options to leave via cruise ship, commercial or charter flight or a few US Gov't operated flights. If given an option, TAKE IT. If you turn down evac offer, it will be offered to next person on list." In another X post on Saturday, Huckabee reaffirmed that the "assisted departure flights" have commenced and that individuals who would like to be considered need to fill out the online form first. Earlier this week, Trump shared reported text messages from Huckabee on his Truth Social account, calling the ambassador a "great person!" The messages read, "I believe you will hear from heaven and that voice is far more important than mine or ANYONE else's." The State Department notice also states that due to the closure of the Iranian airspace, U.S. citizens seeking to leave the country should "depart by land to Azerbaijan, Armenia, or Türkiye if they deem conditions are safe/if they can do so safely," the notice said, adding that "because of the limitations on consular support in Iran, we do not anticipate offering direct U.S. government assisted departure from Iran. U.S. citizens seeking departure should take advantage of existing means to leave Iran." U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee are seen with Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar in Jerusalem on May 26. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee are seen with Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar in Jerusalem on May 26. AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool What People Are Saying Governor Ron DeSantis, a Florida Republican, wrote Friday on X: "Welcome home to those rescued from the escalating Iranian attacks against Israel. The mission has been challenging, but Florida delivered solutions. Through the partnership of @FLSERT and @greybullrescue, we are proud to be the first to welcome these individuals home." Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, said in a June 18 X post: "President Trump has handled the Israel-Iran conflict brilliantly thus far. Israel dominates the skies and has destroyed Iran's military and scientific leadership. They have also done great damage to Iran's nuclear infrastructure. However the one site left standing - the deep underground Fordow site - must be dealt with to achieve the common objective of making sure Iran's nuclear enrichment program ends..." President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social on June 16: "AMERICA FIRST means many GREAT things, including the fact that, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!! Steve Bannon, former chief strategist to Trump, said on his show, The War Room: "Come on, man. We have to have an adult conversation. We're not going to let the shills at Fox—the same exact crowd that said the same thing about the Iraq War—force the President of the United States into a corner. He needs a range of options." What Happens Next The conflict remains volatile, with Israel continuing its military campaign and Iran vowing not to back down. Reports also indicate American bombers and naval fleets are mobilizing in preparation for U.S. war efforts.