US Marine Littoral Regiment tests dispersed island ops with NMESIS and MADIS

Exercise Balikatan 2026 showcases the Marine Littoral Regiment concept: widely dispersed, expeditionary island positions executing distributed command-and-control and maritime strait denial. The regiment employed NMESIS anti-ship missile sections across multiple islands and integrated MADIS counter-drone/air-defense live engagements, reflecting evolving littoral doctrine and TTPs for contested environments.