PH to acquire US Typhon mid-range missile system – AFP

/ 01:10 PM December 23, 2024

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In this handout photo from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) taken and received on May 8, 2024 shows the BRP Jose Rizal launching a C-Star Surface to Surface Anti-Ship Missile directed towards a mock enemy target during the maritime strike exercise as part of the joint US-Philippines annual military Balikatan drills in Laoag, on Luzon island’s northwest coast. (Photo by Handout / various sources / AFP)

The Philippine military said Monday it plans to acquire the US Typhon missile system to protect its maritime interests, some of which overlap with regional power China.

The US Army deployed the mid-range missile system in the northern Philippines earlier this year for annual joint military exercises with its longtime ally, but decided to leave it there despite criticism by Beijing that it was destabilizing to Asia.

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Since then, it has been used by Philippine forces to train for its operation.

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“It is planned to be acquired because we see its feasibility and its functionality in our concept of archipelagic defense implementation,” Philippine Army chief Lieutenant-General Roy Galido told a news conference.

“I’m happy to report to our fellow countrymen that your army is developing this capability for the interest of protecting our sovereignty,” he said, adding the total number to be acquired would depend on “economics.”

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As a rule, it takes at least two or more years for the Philippine military to acquire a new weapons system from the planning stage, Galido said, adding it was not yet budgeted for 2025.

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The land-based “mid-range capability” missile launcher, developed by US firm Lockheed Martin for the US Army, has a range of 300 miles (480 kilometers), though a longer-range version is in development.

The presence of the US missile system on Philippine soil had angered Beijing, whose forces have engaged in escalating confrontations in recent months with the Philippines over disputed reefs and waters in the South China Sea.

Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun warned in June that the Typhon deployment was “severely damaging regional security and stability.”

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TAGS: AFP, Armed Forces of the Philippines, US

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