'The more missiles, the merrier': AFP welcomes potential Typhon system

The possible arrival of another mid-range capability (Typhon) missile system will be valuable for enhancing the military’s training with modern assets, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said, as it welcomes the potential deployment of a second Typhon battery in the country.

Last week, the US-based Defense News reported that the Army's 3rd Multidomain Task Force unit “is standing up its long-range fires battalion over the next year, including readying its Typhon battery for deployment in the Pacific theater.”

This would mark the US Army’s second missile system to enter the Indo-Pacific region.

While not directly confirming the deployment of the asset in the Philippines, AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said the additional resources would enhance training and improve the military's overall effectiveness.

“This is a welcome development for the AFP. We could say that the more, the merrier. The more assets we have, the more also that we can train our personnel,” Padilla told reporters in a press conference at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, on Tuesday.

In the same briefing, Army spokesperson Col. Louie Dema-ala said the potential arrival of another MRC missile system would accelerate training for troops.

“The Philippines may welcome this. Sa ngayon kasi maliliit lang ang personnel na nag-train natin. So welcome this kung mayroon ang darating (Right now, we only have a small number of personnel undergoing training. So, we welcome this if it arrives),” Dema-ala said.

In April 2024, the US deployed the first Typhon missile system to the Philippines, where it was used in a series of Philippines-US military training exercises, including the annual Balikatan drills.

The system was also utilized as training equipment during the first phase of the Salaknib Exercise — an annual Army-to-Army combat drill between the Philippine Army and the U.S. Army Pacific — in September last year.

The MRC, also known as the Typhon Weapon System, is a Lockheed Martin design that modifies the naval Mk.41 vertical launch system for land-based operations. The system is capable of firing Tomahawk and SM-6 missiles, although it has not been fired in any of the joint military drills conducted in the Philippines.

Its continued presence in the country has drawn criticism from China, which claims the deployment stokes regional tensions and hostility.

Philippine Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, emphasized that the country's defense initiatives are not directed at any particular nation, but serve to enhance its sovereignty and preparedness.

“We welcome all opportunities to be able to train with modern weapon systems. The defense posture of the Republic of the Philippines is not designed against any other country. It is an action of a sovereign state,” Trinidad said.

He added that the Philippines remains committed to international law, especially in relation to territorial disputes and military operations.

“In the region, we have been abiding by the rules-based international order and international law. Other countries like the Chinese Communist Party [have] not been abiding by international law; they have been destructing the region,” he said.

China has called for the removal of the Typhon system, accusing the Philippines of escalating tensions. However, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has proposed a deal to Beijing, suggesting he would consider removing the system if China ceased its acts of aggression in the West Philippine Sea.