US brings Tomahawk missile launcher to Philippines, China protests

According to CNN, the US has deployed the Medium Range Rocket System (MRC), also known as Typhon, for the first time in the Indo-Pacific region during ongoing exercises with the Philippines. This system is capable of launching missiles with a range of up to 1,600km.

The US military has not said how long the system will be in the Philippines, but it has been involved in a series of joint exercises between the two countries, with the first one starting on April 8, and the annual Balikatan exercise just kicked off on April 22.

According to experts, this is a signal that the US can deploy offensive weapons with range to hit Chinese facilities in the East Sea, southern mainland China and the Taiwan Strait.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said the Typhon system is capable of firing the standard SM-6 missile, a defensive ballistic missile that can target ships at sea at a range of 370km.

The system can also launch Tomahawk land-attack missiles, a cruise missile with a range of up to 1,600km.

Meanwhile, China said the presence of the Typhon system in the Philippines could increase the risk of "misjudgments and miscalculations".

At a regular press conference last week, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian accused the US of seeking “unilateral military interests” and stressed Beijing’s strong opposition to the US deployment of missile launchers in the Philippines.

"We urge the US to earnestly respect the security concerns of other countries, stop provoking military confrontations, stop undermining regional peace and stability, and take concrete actions to reduce strategic risks," Lam said.

In a 2021 report, the magazineMilitary ReviewThe US military's recent missile review highlights the current missile advantage of the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF).

Writing in the report, US Army officer Christopher Milhal said the PLARF's non-nuclear force is the world's largest land-based missile force, with more than 2,200 non-nuclear ballistic and cruise missiles.

In addition, this force also has enough anti-ship missiles to attack every US surface warship in the South China Sea, with enough firepower to overcome each ship's anti-missile system.

According to analysts, the Typhon system is unlikely to bring the above effects to the US forces, but its mobility can cause concern for China, making this system have important deterrence value.

In a statement about the Typhon deployment, the US military said the system was carried on a 13,000km flight to the Philippines, lasting 15 hours, by Air Force C-17 transport aircraft.