Philippine defence: what’s so special about the Typhon missile system?

Philippine Army spokesman Colonel Louie Dema-ala confirmed the missile launcher would remain in the country after the second phase of the annual Salaknib exercise involving the Philippine Army and the US Army Pacific ended in late September.

“The Salaknib exercise has concluded, and the Philippine Army is currently evaluating the entire training. As to the [Typhon], I’ll defer to higher headquarters on the future disposition because it is still a joint decision by the Philippines and the US,” Dema-ala said in a press briefing on Tuesday.

The Typhon, also known as the Mid-Range Capability (MRC), 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.

Previously, General Romeo Brawner Jnr, the country’s military chief, said the Philippines wanted to procure the missile system as part of Manila’s strategy to focus more on external defence.

The Typhon was initially deployed to the Philippines in April, during the first phase of the Salaknib exercise and was also used in the Balikatan joint exercises in April and May.