Nmesis missile system nakahanda na para sa ph-us “kamandag” exercise

Ayon kay Captain John Percie Alcos, tagapagsalita ng Philippine Navy, “The deployment of the NMESIS, which is the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System, is part of Kamandag. Its objective is for us to be able to conduct joint operations or combined operations with other marine corps or other nations.”

Hindi pa malinaw kung aktwal itong ipapaputok o gagamitin lamang sa “dry firing,” isang pamamaraan na kung saan ine-activate ang firing mechanism ng armas nang walang buhay na bala. “Whether it will be fired or not depends on the actual situation or actual criteria that will be met on the day of the maritime strike demonstration,” paliwanag ni Alcos.

Aniya pa, “What matters most is that the PMC would be able to familiarize themselves with the use of the NMESIS through the exercise as it is one of the assets that the Philippine Navy looks to acquire as part of its modernization.”

Kasama sa mga plano ng Philippine Navy ang pagkuha ng NMESIS bilang bahagi ng kanilang modernisasyon. “We have already submitted, to [AFP] higher headquarters to include and to the Department of National Defense, the list of essential or critical capabilities that the Navy or the AFP intends to have, and this is one of the capabilities that we intend to have,” dagdag pa ni Alcos.

Nagsimula ang Kamandag noong Mayo 26 sa Marine barracks sa Taguig City at tatagal hanggang Hunyo 6. Aabot sa 4,000 miyembro ng PMC at USMC ang sasali sa iba’t ibang training sa Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom), Western Command (Wescom), Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), pati na rin sa mga lugar sa Cavite at Manila.

Bukod sa maritime strike, kabilang din sa mga gagawing pagsasanay ang live fire integration, counter-landing/defensive retrograde operation, special operating forces strike, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR), chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive (CBRNE) subject matter expert exchange (SMEE), at senior enlisted leaders symposium (SELS).

Samantala, sasali rin ang mga pwersa mula Japan, South Korea, at Britain habang may mga obserbador mula Australia, Bahrain, Canada, France, Indonesia, Netherlands, New Zealand, at Thailand.

Nauna nang kinuwestiyon ng China ang paggamit ng NMESIS sa mga pagsasanay tulad ng Balikatan noong Abril, subalit binigyang-diin ni Alcos ang soberanya ng Pilipinas. “I think the Secretary of National Defense [Gilberto Teodoro Jr.] said it best. Walang pakialam and kahit sinong bansa (No country has the right to interfere) when it comes to the deployment of assets, whether it is our own or if it belongs to our allies.”

“At so, we will continue to deploy or train with our allies in the objective of enhancing combined operations or to be able to do operations with them in the future,” aniya.