Philippines aims to acquire Typhon missile launcher as regional arms race intensifies

China is against the deployment of the Typhon in the Philippines, which has been used in joint military exercises involving US troops

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The US-made Typhon missile launcher system. Photo: US Army

Published: 8:03pm, 30 Aug 2024

The Philippines is aiming to acquire the US-made Typhon missile launcher as analysts say such an advanced addition to the country’s arsenal could be a game changer in boosting its deterrence capacity.

General Romeo Brawner Jnr, the country’s military chief, said on Thursday that the Philippines wanted to procure the Mid-Range Capability (MRC), or Typhon, missile system as part of Manila’s strategy to focus more on external defence.

“Part of that advancement is trying to get in the latest weapons systems that are out there, enough for us to develop the intended effect. So one of the modern weapons are, of course, the missile systems,” Brawner said at a press conference following a meeting of senior Philippine defence officials.

The Typhon is a land-based, ground-launched system capable of firing the Standard Missile 6 (SM-6) and the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile with ranges of more than 240km (150 miles) and 2,500km (1,550 miles), respectively, distances that put the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait within its radius.

The US Army deployed a Typhon launcher in Northern Luzon in April as part of a joint training exercise. The system is reportedly still stationed in the region to allow Philippine troops to familiarise themselves with it.

Sherwin Ona, a political-science professor at De La Salle University in Manila, told This Week in Asia Friday the system could be part of Washington’s US$500 million security assistance package for the Philippines announced in July.