TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The U.S. Army's new ground-based missile launch system is being deployed to the south of Taiwan in the northern territory of the Philippines.
On Monday (April 15), Naval News reported that the Mid-Range Capability (MRC) is being deployed for the first time in the First Island Chain for joint military exercises in the northern Philippines. The annual bilateral exercises between the Philippine Army and the U.S. Army Pacific, dubbed Salaknib, began on April 8.
The MRC, also known as the Typhon Weapons System, can carry both Tomahawk cruise missiles and Standard Missile 6 (SM-6) missiles. Lockheed Martin designed the system which utilizes the U.S. Navy's Mk.41 vertical launch system, adapted for land-based operations.
These launch systems are one of the core elements of the U.S. Army's new Multi-Domain Task Forces (MDTF), primarily aimed at addressing the extensive threats posed by Russia and China. According to Naval News, the Typhon Weapons System landed at an unnamed airstrip in northern Luzon to take part in the Salaknib exercises.
When positioned in Northern Luzon, the Typhon Weapons System's missile range covers not only the entire Luzon Strait, but also reaches coastal areas of China and numerous People's Liberation Army bases in the South China Sea.
A press release from the U.S. Army said the deployment of the Typhon Weapons System "aims to enhance Philippine maritime defense capabilities, while bolstering interoperability and readiness within the U.S.-Philippine Alliance."
