On April 15, local time, the U.S. Army Pacific (U.S. Army. Army Pacific's 1st Multi-Domain Task Force (1st MDTF) has deployed the Intermediate-Range Capability (or Mid-Range Capability, MRC) missile system in northern Luzon in the Philippines for the first time in history, and said the deployment was a "milestone."
The deployment is part of the U.S.-Philippine exercise Salaknib-24, which earlier this month sent the U.S. military to deploy the "medium-range capabilities" of the Strategic Fires Battalion of the 1st Multi-Domain Task Force The missile system, which departed from its unit (Company C, 5th Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment), was stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McCord in Washington State, and flew more than 8,000 miles in 15 hours on a C-17 Globemaster III. transport aircraft of the 62nd Airlift Wing of the United States Air Force, arriving in the Philippines on April 7.
The Intermediate-Range Capability missile launch system carried by the C-17 arrives in the Philippines on April 7 Credit: U.S. Army
The "Medium-Range Capability" launch system, also known as the "Typhon" (or "Typhoon") weapon system, is part of the U.S. Army's "Long Range Precision Fire" (LRPF) program, which is based on the Navy's Mk41 vertical launch system and converted by Lockheed Martin into a semi-trailer-type land launcher, which is mainly used to launch Tomahawk cruise missiles and RIM-174 "Standard" SM-6 ballistic missiles that can be used against surface targets. The system provides the U.S. Army with a land-based medium-range strike capability after the expiration of the INF Treaty in 2019, which the U.S. Army claims aims to "counter a broad range of threats from Russia and China." At the end of 2022, Loma delivered its first "medium-range capability" launch system to the U.S. Army.
According to the current establishment, the "medium-range capability" system is composed of a launch company, each of which consists of four semi-trailer launch vehicles, one command center and a number of related logistics vehicles, and the launch company is integrated into the strategic firepower battalion of the task force.
The "medium-range capability" launch company consists of four semi-trailer launch vehicles, one command center vehicle, and several other supporting logistics vehicles Image source: social media
The arrival of Typhon sends a "strong signal" to the entire region, and to China in particular, and shows what could happen through plans to build missile systems more permanently in the Western Pacific, the War Zone website wrote. However, it is still unclear how many troops of the launch company will travel to the Philippines to participate in the exercises, whether it will conduct live firing to demonstrate its capabilities, and where the missile system is currently deployed in the Philippines. According to previous public information, the U.S. military is currently allowed to enter five facilities on Luzon, including Camilo Osias Naval Base, Lalo Airport, Melcho della Cruz Barracks, Fort Magsaysay Barracks, and Barça Air Base.
According to the 2023 U.S.-Philippines Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), the Philippines has opened four U.S.-Singapore military facilities (green markers), bringing the total to nine, including five on Luzon Credit: Social media
According to a U.S. Army press release, the deployment of Intermediate-Range Capability missiles in northern Luzon on the first island chain will not only cover the entire Luzon Strait (including buses, Balingtang and Babuyan Strait — editor's note) but also "reach various bases along the coast of China and in the South China Sea," according to a U.S. Army press release, and is intended to "strengthen the Philippines' maritime defense capabilities" and enhance "interoperability" and readiness within the U.S.-Philippine alliance.
Source: Observer.com