US Marines double down on unmanned anti-ship strike: Oshkosh wins record $70.6M ROGUE-Fires deal

The US Marine Corps is expanding its distributed shoot-and-scoot anti-ship architecture against China’s Pacific forces. A new $70.6 million contract with Oshkosh Defense brings more JLTV-based unmanned ROGUE-Fires launchers into the field alongside the NMESIS system.

At the heart of NMESIS, the Naval Strike Missile is the US Marine Corps' new anti-ship backbone. — At the heart of NMESIS, the Naval Strike Missile is the US Marine Corps’ new anti-ship backbone.

At a Glance

What: Oshkosh Defense ROGUE-Fires launcher contract
Amount: $70.6 million — the largest single award in the program to date
Customer: US Marine Corps (MARCORSYSCOM)
System: NMESIS — launcher for the Naval Strike Missile, unmanned
Base: JLTV — autonomous control developed with Forterra
Production timeline: through September 2028

A distributed anti-ship network for the Pacific

The US Marine Corps is strengthening its ability to threaten enemy warships from dispersed positions across the Indo-Pacific. A new $70.6 million contract with Oshkosh Defense expands production of the ROGUE-Fires carrier — the largest single award in the program to date, surpassing February’s $16.9 million modification and the $19 million initial order.

The contract is funded through FY2025 and FY2026 Marine Corps procurement appropriations and was issued on a sole-source basis by MARCORSYSCOM. Production will take place in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, with supporting work in Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania, with deliveries running through September 2028.

Turkey's indigenous anti-ship missile ATMACA can be integrated into land, sea and air platforms. — Turkey’s indigenous anti-ship missile ATMACA can be integrated into land, sea and air platforms.

What are NMESIS and ROGUE-Fires?

NMESIS (Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System) gives the Marines a remotely operated, precision-strike capability against surface vessels without directly exposing crews to risk. At its heart is the NATO-standard Kongsberg/Raytheon Naval Strike Missile (NSM): a modern sea-skimming weapon with a 250+ km range, contoured to evade radar.

The launcher’s carrier, ROGUE-Fires, is derived from Oshkosh’s JLTV (Joint Light Tactical Vehicle) family and operates without a crew thanks to a robotic control architecture developed with Forterra. Low-profile, rapidly relocatable and remotely fireable, the system is seen as a critical “shoot-and-vanish” step against China’s surveillance-and-strike net in the Pacific.

ATMACA test launch: Turkey's anti-ship missile, in its KARA-ATMACA variant, is pursuing a similar distributed-launcher concept. — ATMACA test launch: Turkey’s anti-ship missile, in its KARA-ATMACA variant, is pursuing a similar distributed-launcher concept.

Item	Value
Contract value	$70.6 million (program record)
Contractor	Oshkosh Defense
Customer	US Marine Corps (MARCORSYSCOM)
System	NMESIS — NSM anti-ship launcher
Carrier	ROGUE-Fires (JLTV-based, unmanned)
NSM range	250+ km, sea-skimming
Production timeline	through September 2028

From Turkey’s perspective

Unmanned, distributed land-launchers are spreading rapidly across the anti-ship domain worldwide. Turkey is pursuing its own track here: the indigenous ATMACA anti-ship missile (~220+ km) integrates with air (HÜRJET/F-16), naval (frigates/MILGEM) and, via the KARA-ATMACA variant, land platforms. The ROKETSAN ÇAKIR low-altitude cruise missile and the longer-range follow-ons now in development underline that Turkey, too, is shaping a similar “sea control — area denial” architecture.