Philippines to train with US Typhon missile system next month

Philippines to train with US Typhon missile system next month
by AFP Staff Writers
Manila (AFP) Jan 28, 2025

A Philippine platoon will be trained on using a US mid-range missile system next month, ahead of joint drills, Manila's military said Tuesday, in a move that will likely further fuel tensions with China.

The US military deployed the Typhon missile system in the northern Philippines last year as part of an annual joint exercise, but it was not removed after the war games ended.

The system's presence on Philippine soil has angered Beijing, whose forces have engaged in several confrontations with Philippine vessels in recent months over disputed reefs and waters in the South China Sea.

Last month, the Philippine Army said it was planning to acquire the Typhon system as part of a push to secure its maritime interests, sparking warnings from China of a regional "arms race".

A new platoon from the Philippines' Army Artillery Regiment will receive "orientation and familiarisation" training on the system, starting in the second or third week of February, army spokesman Colonel Louie Dema-ala said in a press conference.

The week-long training will involve troops from the 1st Multi-Domain Task Force of the US Army Pacific, Dema-ala added.

"This is a continuation of what we've learned in the first (training) iteration. New units will be involved in the training and a continuation of the previous platoon that was trained last year," Dema-ala said.

"As long as MRC (mid-range missile capability) is here, we maximise its utilisation to train our personnel in new technology," he added.

Dema-ala said the training is in preparation for this year's Salaknib, an annual joint exercise between the Philippines and US armies.

The training location cannot be disclosed, he told reporters, noting that there will be no firing of the Typhon system.

Philippine military spokeswoman Colonel Francel Padilla said moving the launcher from its initial location to a different part of the country is a test "to see how these logistical trains can be transported to certain locations, to certain salient points."

Philippine military officials have said the Typhon system would be able to protect vessels up to 370 kilometres (200 nautical miles) off the coast, the limit of its maritime entitlement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Last week, China's foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning renewed calls for the Philippines to "stop going further down the wrong path".

"Let me stress again that by bringing this strategic offensive weapon into this part of the world, the Philippines is essentially creating tensions and antagonism in the region and inciting geopolitical confrontation and an arms race," she said.