THE PHILIPPINE military on Monday welcomed the potential deployment of a second US-made Typhon missile launcher system in the country, saying it would enhance its deterrence posture amid rising tensions in the South China Sea.
Hosting another unit of the advanced missile battery would boost the country’s capability to defend its territory and help keep peace in Southeast Asia, military spokeswoman Colonel Francel Margareth Padilla-Taborlupa said.
“This Typhon missile system is not just a weapon,” she said in Filipino in a news program, aired by state broadcaster People’s Television Network. “It is a symbol of deterrence, not aggression.”
“The deployment of this system contributes to the peace and stability of the region,” she added.
The US Army last year flew the advanced, mid-range capability missile system in the northern Philippines last year for annual Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder) drills between Washington and Manila’s forces.
It has since stayed in the Philippines, kept in an undisclosed location. It was last seen in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte in the north, according to a Reuters report in January.
A US official said Washington is willing to deploy another Typhon missile launcher in the country if Manila agrees to it, according to a report by The Philippine Star last week.
The land-based Typhon system can launch a variety of rockets, including short-range SM-6 missiles and Tomahawks that could reach the Chinese mainland. China and Russia have condemned the positioning of the US missile system in the Philippines, accusing Washington of fueling an arms race in the region.
The Philippines and China have repeatedly clashed over the South China Sea, with tensions rooted in Beijing’s sweeping maritime claims based on a U-shaped, 1940s nine-dash line map that overlaps with the exclusive waters of Manila and other Southeast Asian countries.
China has militarized some islands found within the Philippines’ waters, such as Subi and Mischief reefs, despite a 2016 arbitral ruling that favored Manila’s claim in the contested waterbody.
Ms. Taborlupa said the possible deployment of the missile system is not meant to stoke regional tensions, responding to a question about potential backlash from China.
The Chinese Embassy in Manila did not immediately reply to a Viber message seeking comment.
“We may not be able to control the reactions of others, but we can control our own intentions,” she said. “And our intention is clear — to protect our people and our sovereignty.” — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio
