U.S. Oshkosh Wins $16.9M Contract to Deliver More NMESIS Anti-Ship Missile Launchers for U.S. Marines.

U.S. Company Oshkosh Defense received a $16.9 million contract modification on February 20, 2026, to deliver additional Remotely Operated Ground Unit carriers (ROGUE-Fires carrier) for the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS). The award strengthens the Marine Corps’ ability to conduct distributed maritime strike operations from unmanned, shore-based platforms under its Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations strategy.

U.S. Company Oshkosh Defense has received a $16.9 million contract modification to deliver additional Remotely Operated Ground Unit (ROGUE-Fires) carriers for the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS), expanding the U.S. Marine Corps’ shore-based anti-ship capability. The February 20, 2026, award, issued under a hybrid firm-fixed-price and cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order, supports continued fielding of the unmanned, JLTV-based launch platform armed with the Naval Strike Missile. NMESIS enables small, distributed Marine units to target hostile surface vessels from land, a key element of the Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations concept. The added carriers reflect sustained investment in distributed maritime strike capacity as the service sharpens its focus on littoral operations and Indo-Pacific deterrence.
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A ROGUE-Fires unmanned ground vehicle of the U.S. Marine Corps configured with a Naval Strike Missile launcher, designed to conduct distributed coastal anti-ship operations under the NMESIS program. (Picture source: U.S. Department of War)

The Remotely Operated Ground Unit, or ROGUE-Fires carrier, forms the unmanned mobility backbone of NMESIS (Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System). Based on Oshkosh’s Joint Light Tactical Vehicle architecture, the system removes the crew compartment and integrates drive-by-wire technology, remote-control systems, autonomous navigation, and secure communications links. Mounted with a launcher for the Naval Strike Missile, the vehicle enables the U.S. Marine Corps to deploy anti-ship cruise missiles from concealed, rapidly relocatable positions across islands, coastlines, and austere forward bases.

Technically, the ROGUE-Fires platform retains the JLTV’s high-mobility suspension, independent wheel travel, and off-road performance while incorporating an unmanned control suite that allows teleoperation from a remote command node. The launcher configuration typically carries two Naval Strike Missiles, each capable of striking maritime targets at ranges exceeding 100 nautical miles with a sea-skimming flight profile and an advanced imaging infrared seeker. The missile’s ability to engage ships in contested littoral environments provides a precision-strike option that complicates adversary fleet maneuvering and reduces reliance on larger naval combatants for sea-denial missions.

The hybrid contract structure reflects both hardware procurement and continued systems integration, testing, and potential refinement of command-and-control interfaces. Cost-plus-fixed-fee elements often support engineering adjustments, software maturation, and integration with broader naval targeting networks, suggesting that the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Navy are refining NMESIS within a larger kill chain architecture. This includes integration with naval sensors, joint targeting networks, and potentially space-based or airborne surveillance assets that cue the missile launch platform without exposing forward U.S. Marine Corps personnel.

Operationally, additional ROGUE-Fires carriers expand the U.S. Marine Littoral Regiment’s ability to distribute missile launchers across multiple expeditionary advanced bases. By operating unmanned carriers, the U.S. Marine Corps reduces personnel risk during repositioning and launch operations while increasing tactical flexibility. The unmanned design allows rapid displacement after firing, complicating enemy counter-battery targeting and enhancing survivability in high-threat environments characterized by long-range precision fires and persistent ISR.

Strategically, this procurement reinforces the United States’ emphasis on distributed lethality and sea denial in the Indo-Pacific. NMESIS is designed to deter peer naval forces by creating uncertainty about safe operating zones within contested maritime corridors. A network of small, mobile, land-based anti-ship missile units forces adversaries to allocate resources to counter dispersed ground launchers, potentially diluting offensive concentration at sea. The relatively modest contract value compared to major shipbuilding programs illustrates the cost-imposition strategy at work: land-based missile systems mounted on uncrewed vehicles provide a disproportionate deterrent effect at lower procurement and sustainment cost than additional surface combatants.

From an industrial perspective, the award sustains Oshkosh Defense’s role as a key supplier of unmanned and tactical mobility solutions for the United States military. Leveraging the mature JLTV production line reduces technical risk and accelerates fielding timelines, while maintaining continuity in the tactical wheeled vehicle industrial base. The modification suggests the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Navy are transitioning NMESIS from experimental capability toward sustained acquisition and fielded force structure.

Looking ahead, continued orders for ROGUE-Fires carriers will likely correspond with the activation and equipping of additional Marine Littoral Regiments and expeditionary anti-ship detachments. As the U.S. Marine Corps refines its force design and further integrates unmanned systems into its ground combat element, NMESIS and its Oshkosh-built carriers are positioned to become a central instrument of United States maritime deterrence, translating mobility and precision strike into a distributed, resilient anti-ship network along contested coastlines.

Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.