Latest news with #PhilippineMarineCorps
GMA Network
06-07-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
Blanco is new Philippine Marine Corps Commandant
Vice Admiral Jose Ma Ambrosio Ezpeleta Flag Officer In Command, Philippine Navy, awards the Personal Flag to newly assumed 37th PMC Commandant, Major General Vicente Blanco III, during a donning of ranks and assumption of command ceremony on July 4, 2025, at Marine Barracks Rudiardo Brown, Naval Station Jose Francisco, Taguig City. PHOTO: PHILIPPINE NAVY Major General Vicente Blanco III was formally welcomed by the Philippine Navy as the 37th Commandant of the Philippine Marine Corps in Taguig City. The donning of ranks and assumption of command ceremony was presided by Vice Admiral Jose Ma. Ambrosio Ezpeleta, the head of the Philippine Navy on July 4, 2025, at Marine Barracks Rudiardo Brown, Naval Station Jose Francisco. Ezpeleta expressed 'full confidence' in Blanco's leadership, underscoring his trust in the newly installed Commandant to empower the Marines, officers, enlisted personnel, and civilian human resources under his command. 'From this moment forward, you are in charge of leading the Philippine Marine Corps in a dynamic global security environment. As you take the helm, sustain its transformation under the Active Archipelagic Defense Strategy and sharpen the Corps into a force that is not only the most ready, but also the most relevant—whether on land, at sea, or in the littorals,' Ezpeleta said. Blanco is a member of the Philippine Military Academy 'Sambisig' Class of 1991, graduating 12th out of 218 cadets. A distinguished and combat-hardened marine officer, he has led marine forces in deployments in Sulu, Palawan, Tawi-Tawi, and Quezon, to his command of the 4th Marine Brigade, and most recently, his service as Deputy Commandant of the PMC. —RF, GMA Integrated News
Japan Times
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
U.S. military drills in Philippines end — but anti-ship missile system stays
The U.S. military has kept another advanced weapons system in the Philippines following recent joint drills, suggesting the Pentagon is using exercises to de facto deploy key weapons to the region amid growing tensions with China. The U.S. Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS), an advanced mobile anti-ship missile platform, 'is still within the country, and it will continue to be used by the Philippine Marine Corps for training purposes,' local media quoted Philippine Navy spokesperson Capt. John Percie Alcos as saying Tuesday after the NMESIS was used in this year's Balikatan and Kamandag joint exercises. The Balikatan drills ran from April 21 to May 9, while the Kamandag exercises took place from May 26 to June 6. The spokesperson declined to disclose the weapon's current location, citing operational security reasons, but the remarks are the first to suggest that the NMESIS, which was last spotted on the island of Batanes — located between the Philippines' Luzon island and Taiwan — could remain in the Southeast Asian country indefinitely. Leaving it with the U.S. ally would replicate a similar decision with the Typhon midrange missile system, which the Pentagon originally deployed for drills back in April 2024. Composed of an uncrewed vehicle mounting two launchers for the Naval Strike Missile, which has a range of up to 185 kilometers, the NMESIS is a coastal defense system that could be used to keep Chinese warships at bay in the event of not only conflict with the Philippines, but also with nearby Taiwan. Alcos said the NMESIS deployment should not be viewed as a threat to China, which is embroiled in increasingly heated maritime and territorial disputes in parts of the South China Sea with the Philippines. 'The presence of the NMESIS in our country is only a deterrent to anybody who intends to conduct illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive actions against the Philippines,' the spokesman said. 'Otherwise, it's just military equipment that we use for training.' A Typhon midrange capability launcher arrives on northern Luzon island, in the Philippines, on April 8, 2024, in the capability's first deployment into the theater. | U.S. ARMY Still, confirmation that the weapon will remain in the Philippines is likely to anger Beijing, which has already been calling for the removal of the Typhon, arguing that this weapon, in particular, is a 'strategic' and 'offensive' system. Should the Typhon and NMESIS remain on Philippine soil, China's state-owned Global Times newspaper warned in April, they would become 'a constant source of tension in the region.' According to Philippine Army chief Lt. Gen. Roy Galido, the country's armed forces have been using the Typhon to familiarize themselves with such a capability, with Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro recently telling The Japan Times that Manila has already secured funding to acquire either this or another type of midrange capability. 'We are still learning, we are still training. Just like any equipment you have, you just don't learn it one time. You have to be well-versed with the equipment,' local media quoted Galido as saying Tuesday. 'It's still our desire to have one, and we have proposed to have similar, if not that platform, within the inventory of the army,' he added. The U.S. has also deployed other advanced military systems for joint exercises with the Philippines this year. These include the HIMARS multiple rocket launchers, maritime and aerial drones such as uncrewed solar-powered surveillance vehicles and a microwave-based directed energy weapon system designed to counter drone swarms. It's unclear how many of these systems will also remain in the country, but the Philippine Navy is already known to field a unit dedicated to operating uncrewed surface vehicles after receiving a handful of U.S.-made Mantas T12 and Devil Ray T38 maritime drones. It is likely that Washington will provide additional advanced systems to Manila as it seeks to reassure its oldest ally in Asia of its 'ironclad' commitment amid tensions with China. The U.S. is also looking at greater defense-industrial cooperation with the Philippines, saying earlier this year that the allies have identified a number of areas, including uncrewed systems, ammunition components and logistical support, as well as ship and aircraft maintenance and repair. The U.S. Navy even revealed recently that one of its destroyers had participated in a simulated wartime repair activity at the Philippines' Subic Bay in January.
GMA Network
10-06-2025
- General
- GMA Network
PH Navy: US NMESIS anti-ship missiles to remain in country for more exercises
The Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) of the United States will remain in the country where it will take part in more exercises, the Philippine Navy said on Tuesday. 'This is to confirm that the NMESIS is still within the country and it will continue to be used by the Philippine Marine Corps for training purposes,' Philippine Navy spokesperson Captain John Percie Alcos said in a press briefing. 'As to its current location due to operational security, I cannot disclose that. But I can tell you that it's still inside the country,' he added. The NMESIS is a ground-based anti-ship missile system deployed by the United States Marine Corps' Marine Littoral Regiments for coastal defense and maritime security operations. The Naval Strike Missile it fires has a range of up to 300 kilometers. The missile system was initially deployed to the Philippines in April to be used for this year's Balikatan Exercise between US and Filipino forces. The Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) and the USMC also trained with NMESIS during the Kamandag Exercise in May. Alcos said the initial plan to use the NMESIS for a live fire exercise in Kamandag did not proceed due to safety precautions. 'However, we simulated the firing. So we were able to make the most out of the training opportunity of having the NMESIS here,' Alcos said. 'And we were not only supposed to fire the NMESIS. It was supposed to be a combined fires exercise. Although the NMESIS was just simulated, we were able to fire the 105mm and 155mm howitzers,' he added. The NMESIS will be the second advanced missile system from the US to be present in Philippine territory. Last March, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) welcomed reports on the second deployment of the US Army's Typhon Mid-Range Capability (MRC) missile system in the country. Typhon can launch multipurpose missiles at targets that are thousands of kilometers away. —RF, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
07-06-2025
- General
- GMA Network
PH, US conclude Kamandag exercise 2025
The Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) and the United States Marine Corps (USMC) officially concluded the Kamandag Exercise for 2025. The event marked the culmination of the bilateral training that brought together Philippine and U.S. forces, along with other key partners, in a unified effort to enhance cooperation and mission effectiveness. This year's Kamandag Exercise was also participated by the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, Republic of Korea Marine Corps, and United Kingdom Armed Forces. Meanwhile, the Netherlands, Bahrain, Canada, and New Zealand served as observers. 'KAMANDAG — Kaagapay ng mga Mandirigma ng Dagat — is more than just a military exercise. It is a symbol of the enduring partnership between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and our allies, most notably the United States Marine Corps,' said Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom) Commander Lt. Gen. Antonio Nafarrete during theclosing ceremony. Among the exercises featured in this year's Kamandag are the following: Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive (CBRN) Subject Matter Expert Exchange (SMEE) Senior Enlisted Leaders Symposium (SELS) Maritime & Special Operation Forces events Live Fire Integration Maritime Strike Counter-Landing/Defensive Retrograde Operation Special Operating Forces Strike Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief. 'As we close this chapter, let us carry forward the lessons learned, the relationships strengthened, and the unity reinforced throughout KAMANDAG 09-2025,' Nafarrete said. 'Let us continue to train together, build together, and stand ready together — as warriors not only for national defense, but for peace and humanitarian service,' he added. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
26-05-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
PH, US marines open Kamandag exercise; NMESIS to be used in training
The Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) and the United States Marine Corps (USMC) officially opened Monday their Kamandag Exercise for this year with the participation of other countries. At a press conference, PMC commandant Major General Arturo Rojas said a total of around 4,000 participants are expected to join the training, which is set to be completed on June 6. 'We have around 2,000 for the PMC side and around the same number with our USMC counterparts,' Rojas said. The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, Republic of Korea Marine Corps, and United Kingdom Armed Forces will also participate in Kamandag. Meanwhile, the Netherlands, Bahrain, Canada, New Zealand, among others, will serve as observers. The US' missile system Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) will be used in training, according to Rojas. 'We'll be using the NMESIS also. Again, be able to learn and sustain what we have, what we did in the past Balikatan,' he said. The NMESIS will be deployed to the northern Luzon area, according to USMC's Marine Rotational Force - Darwin 25.3 commanding officer Colonel Jason Armas. 'These are scenario-driven exercises where we will conduct operations with the NMESIS, which is a great capability. It extends the commander's operational reach. And what it really does is it continues to validate Force Design 2030 for the USMC,' Armas said. 'And I would argue that it truly enhances the archipelagic coastal defense concept for the Philippine Armed Forces and really moving forward in modernization,' he added. Among the exercises that will be featured in this year's Kamandag are the following: Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive (CBRN) Subject Matter Expert Exchange (SMEE) Senior Enlisted Leaders Symposium (SELS) Maritime & Special Operation Forces events Live Fire Integration Maritime Strike Counter-Landing/Defensive Retrograde Operation Special Operating Forces Strike Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News
