Marine Corps battalion redesignates as first medium missile unit

The 1st Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment became the first artillery unit in the Marine Corps to redesignate as a medium missile battalion during a ceremony Oct. 9 at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.\n\nThe redesignation allows the battalion to deploy the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS), a ground-based anti-ship missile capability that supports the Marine Corps' Force Design 2030 modernization plan, according to the service.\n\nThe Naval Strike Missile, fired from the NMESIS launcher, has an effective range of more than 130 nautical miles and can target surface ships and fixed ground targets. The system was first introduced to the 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment in 2024 and was successfully tested off the coast of Hawaii during Large Scale Exercise 2021, the Marine Corps said.\n\nLt. Col. Joseph Mozzi, the battalion commander, said the system provides the service with dual capabilities. "The medium-range missile battalion employs the NMESIS, which is the Marine Corps' emerging ground-based anti-ship missile capability, and it will also be a ground-based, long-range precision fires platform," Mozzi said.\n\nThe redesignation does not eliminate the battalion's existing cannon artillery capabilities. Col. William Soucie, the 10th Marine Regiment commander, noted that the battalion was selected for modernization because it gives the II Marine Expeditionary Force commanding general greater flexibility during a crisis while retaining other artillery capabilities across the regiment.