Philippine military says will acquire US Typhon mid-range missile system

MANILA – The Philippine military 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 in 2024 for

annual joint military exercises

with its long-time ally, but decided to leave it there despite criticism by Beijing that it was destabilising to Asia.

Since then,

it has been used by Philippine forces

to train for its operation.

“It is planned to be acquired because we see its feasibility and its functionality in our concept of archipelagic defence implementation,” Philippine Army chief Lieutenant-General Roy Galido said at a news conference on Dec 23.

“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”.

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, Lt-Gen Galido said, adding it was not yet budgeted for 2025.

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

The presence of the US missile system on Philippine soil

has 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.

Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea despite an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.

Manila and Washington, longstanding treaty allies, have deepened their defence cooperation since Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos took office in 2022 and began pushing back on Beijing’s claims to the South China Sea.

And on Dec 23, China swiftly condemned the decision to acquire the system as a “provocative and dangerous move” and warned it risked triggering an “arms race”.

“It is an extremely irresponsible choice for the history of its own people and the people of South-east Asia, as well as for regional security,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Dec 23.

“The region needs peace and prosperity, not missiles and confrontation,” she added, urging Manila to “correct its wrong practices as soon as possible”.

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, Mr Galido said on Dec 23, adding it was not yet budgeted for 2025.

It took five years for Manila to take delivery of the BrahMos cruise missile last year, he added.

‘Project force’

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

Mr Galido said the Typhon system would enable the army to “project force” outwards up to 200 nautical miles (370km), which is the limit of the archipelago nation’s maritime entitlements under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

“You have to take note of the fact that at 200 nautical miles there is no land there and the army cannot go there,” he said.

The Typhon platform “will protect our floating assets”, he said, a reference to ships of the Philippine navy, coast guard and other vessels.

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

But Mr Galido dismissed the criticism of the Typhon system in the Philippines.

“We should not be bothered by others’ seeming insecurities because we don’t have any plans to go outside of our country’s interests,” he said. AFP