By Reuters
MANILA, Jan 24 (Reuters) - The deployment of the U.S. military's Typhon missile launchers in the Philippines was in line with Washington's longstanding defence ties with the country, the Philippine armed forces said on Friday.
"The primary objective of this deployment is to strengthen Philippine military readiness, improve our familiarisation and interoperability with advanced weapon systems, and support regional security," armed forces spokesperson Francel Margareth Padilla said in a statement.
Her remarks came after a Reuters report that the U.S. military has moved the launchers, which have mid-range capability (MRC), to another location in the Philippines.
The weapon's presence on Philippine territory drew sharp rebukes from China when it was first deployed in April 2024 during military exercises. Beijing accused the Philippines on Thursday of creating tension and confrontation in the region, urging it to "correct its wrong practices".
Treaty allies the United States and the Philippines "coordinate closely on all aspects of the MRC deployment, including its positioning", Padilla said.
The Typhon launchers can fire multi-purpose missiles up to thousands of kilometres such as Tomahawk cruise missiles, capable of hitting targets in both China and Russia from the Philippines. The SM-6 missiles it also carries can strike air or sea targets more than 200 km (165 miles) away.
"These arrangements reflect shared operational considerations and mutual consultations between our two nations," Padilla said.
(Reporting by Mikhail Flores; Editing by Martin Petty)
