The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) welcomed the possible deployment of a second battery of the Typhon mid-range capability (MRC) to the country by the United States government.

AFP spokesperson Colonel Francel Margareth Padilla said the move will further strengthen the deterrence capabilities of the military against China’s “illegal” and “aggressive” actions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

“Bukas po ang Armed Forces of the Philippines sa ganitong hakbang lalo na’t ito ay nagbubukas po ng mas maraming pagkakataon para po sa joint trainings, ‘yung interoperability po natin at capability enhancement na rin po (The Armed Forces of the Philippines is open to this move especially as it opens more opportunities for joint trainings, interoperability, and capability enhancement),” she said in an interview on Monday, June 16.

“Nagbibigay po ito ng daan para sa ating mga sundalo na matuto, maka-angkop din po at makipag-operate sa advanced systems na makakatulong sa ating sariling defense preparedness (This paves the way for our soldiers to learn, capacitate themselves, and operate advanced systems which would help us in our defense preparedness),” she added.

The Typhon is a mid-range missile system developed by US manufacturer Lockheed Martin.

It can fire various missiles such as the Standard Missile 6 (SM-6), which is designed for striking air or sea targets over 200 kilometers away, and the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM), which is capable of hitting long-distance targets. 

A single battery of the Typhon MRC was first deployed to the Philippines in April 2024 for the Philippine Army’s (PA) Salaknib Exercise and the AFP’s Balikatan Exercise.

Aside from Typhon, the US also deployed the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) anti-ship missile system to the country in April for the Balikatan Exercises.

The missile systems have not been recalled since then, earning the ire of China, which warned that the presence of such weapons in the Indo-Pacific could trigger an arms race in the region.

AFP chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. and Army chief Lt. Gen. Roy Galido previously expressed interest in procuring a similar capability like Typhon.

“Ito pong Typhon missile system, hindi lang ito armas (The Typhon missile system is not only a weapon). It is a symbol of deterrence and not aggression,” Padilla clarified. “Na-e-enhance po nito ang multi-domain defense posture particularly sa ating Indo-Pacific theatre (It enhances our multi-domain defense posture particularly in the Indo-Pacific theater).”

The AFP mouthpiece added that China should not be alarmed if the US government decides to deploy a second battery of the Typhon.

“Ang layunin po ng AFP ay malinaw: depensa hindi probokasyon. So ang deployment po ng mga sistemang ito ay ambag po sa kapayapaan at katatagan ng rehiyon (The goal of the AFP is clear: defense and not provocation. The deployment of such system contributes to regional peace and stability),” Padilla said.

Earlier, the US Indo-Pacific Command (Indopacom) reportedly expressed openness to deploying a second battery of the Typhon MRC to the Philippines if the national government agrees to it.