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Philippines Balikatan Exercise: The Philippines has confirmed the deployment of the US Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) for the upcoming Balikatan military exercises. This is news as it shows increased military cooperation and highlights the strategic importance of anti-ship capabilities in the region.
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NMESIS Overview: NMESIS is a land-based anti-ship missile system developed for the US Marine Corps (USMC). It’s designed to support naval operations through land-to-sea attacks.
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Key Components:
- Naval Strike Missile (NSM): The US Navy’s latest anti-ship missile, capable of engaging targets over 100 nautical miles (185 km) away. It can target both maritime and land targets, uses advanced seeker technology for precision, and can evade radar.
- ROGUE Fires Vehicle: An unmanned variant of the Oshkosh Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV), functioning as a Remotely Operated Ground Unit for Expeditionary (ROGUE) Fires vehicle. It’s remotely operated, highly mobile, and carries a high payload.
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ROGUE Fires Features: It uses advanced autonomous vehicle tech, is remotely operated, lacks a crew cab, has sensors and cameras, and can be configured for different missions.
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NSM Features: Multi-mission cruise missile. Range over 100 nm (185 km). Advanced seeker for precision. Maneuverability to evade radar, flying close to sea level. 226.79 kg warhead. Programmable fuse.
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Not Autonomous: NMESIS isn’t fully autonomous. A marine is responsible for mission planning and firing the missile. The fire control system isn’t controlled by the self-driving system.
