The Philippines said Monday that it plans to acquire a new controversial US missile system, known as the Typhon, prompting Beijing to warn of an “arms race” in the region.
The Typhon missile launcher is a ground-based system concealed in a 40-foot shipping container that can fire nuclear-capable Tomahawk missiles, which have a range of more than 1,000 miles, and SM-6 missiles, which can hit targets up to 290 miles away.
The US began developing the Typhon after it withdrew from the Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in 2019. The INF was a Cold War-era treaty between the US and Russia that prohibited the development of ground-based missiles with a range between 310 and 3,400 miles.
The US sent a Typhon system to the Philippines in April for military drills. The deployment was initially said to be temporary, but the Typhon is still there despite strong protests from Beijing.
Lt. Gen. Roy Galido, commander of the Philippine Army, told reporters Manila would acquire a Typhon system “because we see its feasibility and its functionality in our concept of archipelagic defense implementation.”
“I’m happy to report to our fellow countrymen that your army is developing this capability for the interest of protecting our sovereignty,” Galido said.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning was asked about Galido’s comments and said, “China firmly opposes US deployment of Mid-Range Capability missile system in the Philippines. We have made clear this opposition more than once.”
“Let me stress again that the Philippines, by bringing in this strategic offensive weapon, is enabling a country outside the region to fuel tensions and antagonism in this region and incite geopolitical confrontation and arms race,” Mao added.
