During Exercise Balikatan 2025, held from April 21 to May 9 in the Philippines, the U.S. Marine Corps simulated anti-ship operations using NMESIS on Batan Island in the Luzon Strait—a key gateway for China's naval deployments beyond its surrounding waters.
The Philippines plays a significant role in America's Indo-Pacific strategy. It is one of three U.S. allies —alongside Japan and Taiwan—that form a containment strategy known as the First Island Chain, aimed at restricting China's naval access to the broader Western Pacific Ocean.
