The United States’ Third Marine Littoral Regiment in Hawaii received its first Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System – NEMESIS the last week of November 2024.
NEMESIS is a land based anti-ship missile system utilizing the Kongsberg Defense Aerospace Naval Strike Missile (NSM). A proven long range, precision strike missile NSM is manufactured by Raytheon in cooperation with Kongsberg.
The missile can seek out and destroy stationary and moving seaborne or land targets to 185 km (100 nautical miles). Its abilities to perform high G evasive manoeuvres, fly at low sea-skimming and terrain following altitude, and climb and descend on to target, as necessary, allow it to effectively elude radar detection and defensive countermeasures.
Navigation relies on TERCOM (terrain reference and recognition), GPS, and Inertial Navigation while acquisition and attack are facilitated by high-resolution infrared seekers and target detection, recognition, and identification using an on-board data base. The missile has a low radar cross section, flies at high subsonic speed and employs a blast/high fragmentation warhead with a programable fuse intended in the anti-ship role to detonate at or near the waterline inflicting maximum damage.
This fielding was originally planned for Fall of 2023 but was delayed. The NEMISIS is a key component of its Force Design restructuring and its approach to its role in combat in the Indo-Pacific theatre. The Marine Corps NEMISIS utilizes two NSMs installed on a chassis derived from the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) which is unmanned. Control is provided by the ROUGE-Fires remote display and joy-stick control system. A fully loaded system can be air transported by C-130 or as an external sling load by the CH-53E and K heavy helicopters.
The NEMISIS is intended to be deployed to remote islands with small Marine units to engage opposing naval ships. After firing the independent targeting capability of the NSM it allow the launch unit to displace using “shoot and scoot” technique to enhance survival.
In a recent RIMPAC live firing exercise the Marines practiced launch of two missiles in rapid succession possibly reflecting recognition that based on combat experience multiple missiles will likely be necessary to achieve a successful attack against modern warships. These initially fielded NMESIS are assigned to the Third Marine Littoral Regiment’s (MLR) Medium-Range Missile Battery.
According to the MLR organization one Medium Range Missile Battery will be provided in each Littoral Combat Team (LCT) which is structured around an infantry battalion. Typically a Marine artillery battery has six weapons. It is anticipated that provisions for supply of NSM reloads and missile reloading capability will be one of the challenges that will be determined by Marines as they gain hands-on experience with NEMISIS systems.
The NSM is in service with thirteen militaries including the US Navy for its Over-the-Horizon requirement on the LCS ships. Poland, Lativa, and Romania are using or committed to fielding it in a coastal defence role. The US Navy in July 2024 fired the NSM from the LCS USS Gabrielle and in October from the USS Fitgerald DDG62. Its operational use with the US Navy will better assure the availability of missiles for the Marines as well.
by Stephen W. Miller
