US, Philippines Deploy Anti-Ship Missile System During War Games

By Adrian Portugal

BATANES, Philippines, May 2 (Reuters) – Philippine and U.S. forces on Saturday showcased the NMESIS anti-ship missile system in Batanes province, near Taiwan, during annual war games, as tensions simmer over the self-governed island that China views as its own territory. 

The Philippines’ northernmost province, with about 20,000 residents, sits around 100 miles south of Taiwan, along the Luzon Strait, a strategic corridor on the frontline of the great power competition between the U.S. and China for dominance in the Asia-Pacific region. 

“Training out here in Batanes allows us a different environment than what we’re normally allowed to operate in,”