U.S. anti-ship missiles are coming to the Luzon Strait. Naval News reported on April 17 that the 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment will be deploying its Medium-Range Missile Battery equipped with the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction Systems (NMESIS) to the Luzon Strait, marking the first-ever American anti-ship missile deployment to the strategically located Batanes Island Chain. Batanes Island is only 200 km south of the southern tip of Taiwan.
An unspecified number of the anti-ship missile launchers will be airlifted to “multiple islands” in Batanes from Northern Luzon. While no missiles will be fired, a release from the 3rd MLR stated that the missile battery will create a Fires Expeditionary Advanced Base in coordination with the Philippine Marine Corps 4th Brigade and simulate fire missions in the Luzon Strait. The NMESIS is armed with the Norwegian-manufactured Naval Strike Missile, which is reported to have a range of greater than 200 km.
Naval News notes that “Positioned between the Philippines and Taiwan, the Batanes islands are within one of the strategic chokepoints for transiting between the first and second island chains. With the NMESIS’ 185-km range, its basing across islands in Batanes could threaten vessels entering the 250-km-wide Luzon Strait.”
The NMESIS is reported to be deployed for the annual U.S.-Philippines Balikatan exercise, which kicked off today, but maybe it’ll be like the U.S. Army Typhon missile battery which deployed to the Philippines last year but never left.
