DAVILA, Philippines– U.S. Marines with 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, alongside Philippine marines with 4th Marine Brigade, Philippine Marine Corps, successfully transported personnel, sustainment supplies and advanced coastal defense systems aboard Philippine vessels during bilateral littoral mobility training in Northern Luzon, June 21-22, 2026, in support of the Philippine-led exercise, KAMANDAG 10. The training enhanced the ability of U.S. and Philippine forces to move and sustain personnel and equipment across complex maritime terrain while strengthening interoperability and combined readiness.
"The modern littoral environment requires us to rapidly move our forces across challenging maritime terrain," said U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Robert Moore, the regimental logistics officer of 3rd MLR. "The teamwork and interoperability displayed by our forces proves the combined ability to build resilient and ready logistics webs necessary to succeed as a Stand-In Force.”
During the training, 3rd MLR and 4th Marine Brigade transported personnel, supplies and modern capabilities such as the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System and the Marine Air Defense Integrated System from ports to distributed exercise locations. By integrating existing infrastructure, commercial ferries and roll-on, roll-off vessels, the combined force sustained movement across the Batanes Islands during the bilateral maneuvers.
"Working side-by-side with our Philippine Marine Corps partners and Philippine port operators throughout these movements strengthened coordination and trust at every level," said U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Christopher Nannery, the 3rd MLR mobility officer. "The experience demonstrated how interoperability and shared planning contribute to effective combined operations."
The training highlighted the ability of combined force to integrate existing transportation networks and operate effectively across dispersed island terrain. By refining mobility and sustainment procedures together, participating forces improved their ability to respond to a range of contingencies while supporting combined readiness objectives.
Together, 3rd MLR and 4th Marine Brigade demonstrated the growing interoperability between U.S. and Philippine forces and reinforced the ironclad alliance's ability to operate shoulder-to-shoulder across a maritime environment. Coupled with the deployment of the NMESIS and the MADIS in the Batanes Islands, the bilateral training strengthened the combined ability to work together as a forward, ready and responsive force in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.
3rd MLR is a U.S. Marine Corps unit specialized in littoral warfare operations. Based at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay, and operating throughout the Pacific, 3rd MLR routinely integrates with regional allies and partners during multilateral exercises like KAMANDAG 10. KAMANDAG 10 is a multidomain, joint, and combined exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and U.S. military focused on enhancing maritime security, interoperability, contested logistics, and combined readiness throughout the Philippine archipelago.