By Olawale Abaire, Warrior Editorial Fellow
For the first time, the U.S. Army has deployed its latest ground-based missile system, the Typhon, to the Indo-Pacific region, specifically for an exercise in the Philippines. This system, capable of launching Tomahawk cruise missiles and SM-6 multi-purpose missiles, is a clear message to China and the region at large. It’s a preview of the Army’s plans to establish a permanent presence of these systems near China.
The U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC) recently confirmed deploying a part of the Typhon system, also known as the Mid-Range Capability (MRC), to the Philippines for Exercise Salaknib 24. The system, which arrived in the Western Pacific nation, is assigned to Battery C, 5th Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, a part of the Long-Range Fires Battalion under the 1st Multi-Domain Task Force (MDTF) at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington State. The Army had previously indicated that it would deploy a Typhon system overseas this year, but the specific destination and timeline were not disclosed.
The deployment of the Typhon system in the Philippines is part of the bilateral U.S.-Philippine ground forces exercise Salaknib 2024. The Typhon Missile System, also known as the Mid-Range Capability (MRC), is a ground-based launcher designed by Lockheed Martin. It takes the naval Mk.41 vertical launch system and modifies it for land-based operations. The system can support Tomahawk cruise missiles and SM-6, enhancing the Army’s ground combat and anti-ship capabilities at distances of up to 1,000 miles.
The extent of Battery C’s participation in Exercise Salaknib 24 remains uncertain, as does the possibility of a live-fire demonstration of the unit’s capabilities. The Army has so far only released images of a single trailer-based containerized launcher, towed by a tractor variant of the Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT), being loaded onto a U.S. Air Force C-17A Globemaster III transport aircraft from the 62nd Airlift Wing at Joint Base Lewis-McChord and subsequently unloaded at its destination. The Army’s press release mentions only one C-17A flight. This marks the first time that elements of the Typhon system have been airlifted, a journey of over 8,000 miles that took the aircraft more than 15 hours, according to the Army.
A full Typhon battery includes four launchers, a trailer-based mobile command post, and other ancillary vehicles and equipment, as per information previously released by the Army. Transporting a single Typhon battery would require multiple C-17A sorties.
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The current location of the Typhon system components in the Philippines is unclear. The Army has only confirmed that elements of Battery C have arrived in Northern Luzon. The U.S. military currently has access to five different sites on Luzon, the largest and most populous island in the Philippine archipelago and home to the country’s capital, Manila.
Originally designed as a sea-launched surface-to-air weapon, the SM-6 has demonstrated capabilities against various aerial threats, including ballistic missiles and novel hypersonic weapons in the terminal phases of their flights. U.S. Navy warships can also employ SM-6s against surface targets.
From the center of Northern Luzon, the Typhon has sufficient range to reach the southeastern corner of mainland China and Hainan Island with its key naval and other bases. Chinese man-made outposts across the South China Sea would also be within range. This is particularly significant given the current tensions between Beijing and Manila over control of the Scarborough Shoal, which lies to the west of Luzon. In 2016, an international court ruled in favor of the Philippines’ claims to the shoal, a decision rejected by Chinese authorities. China’s government claims the vast majority of the South China Sea, including other areas claimed by the Philippines, as its sovereign territory, a position the vast majority of the international community rejected.
The airlift of the Typhon to the Philippines demonstrates the Army’s ability to rapidly deploy these systems to forward areas in response to a crisis or contingency. In the event of a major conflict in the Pacific, such as one against China, traditional cargo aircraft and large established air bases will be prime targets. However, the Air Force’s C-17s have significant short and rough field capabilities that would allow them to deliver Typhons (and other cargoes) to more remote and austere locations, if required. These systems could also be deployed via sealift ships, but those vessels are also expected to face heavily contested environments in any future high-end fight.
The Typhon presents new challenges for Chinese forces, especially given the flexibility and responsiveness they could offer for hitting targets throughout the region in the opening phases of a conflict. At the same time, the ability of these systems to provide a persistent capability will be key, but questions about how and where they could be deployed remain. Multiple countries have said in the past that they are not interested in hosting new U.S. Army long-range missile systems like the Typhon.
In conclusion, the deployment of the Typhon Missile System in the Philippines signifies a strategic move by the US Army to counter potential threats in the Indo-Pacific region. It not only enhances the US Army’s ground combat and anti-ship capabilities but also strengthens its partnership with the Philippines, thereby contributing to the maintenance of a free and open Indo-Pacific.
