The Philippines says it will buy the US Typhon missile system, prompting warnings from China

The Philippines said on Monday it plans to acquire the US Typhon missile system as part of a drive to protect its maritime interests, sparking warnings from China of an “arms race” in the region.

The US military deployed an intermediate-range missile system to the northern Philippines earlier this year for annual joint military exercises with its longtime ally and decided to leave it there despite Beijing’s criticism that it was escalating tensions in Asia.

Philippine military chief Lieutenant-General Roy Galido told a press conference on Monday that the missile system “will be acquired because we see its feasibility and effectiveness in our concept of implementing archipelagic defense.”

“I am happy to report to our people that your army is developing this capability for the purpose of protecting our sovereignty,” he said, adding that the total cost of the purchase would depend on “economics.”

The presence of the US missile has angered Beijing, its navy and coast guard who have faced heated disputes in recent months with the Philippines over disputed reefs in the South China Sea.

Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea, which is an important global shipping lane, despite international rulings that its claims have no legal basis.

Manila and Washington, long-term alliances, are deep defense cooperation since Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos took office in 2022 and began rolling back Beijing’s claims over the South China Sea.

The US does not stake claims in the South China Sea but has warned that it does he is responsible for the defense of the Philippines if its forces are attacked there, and it has declared that freedom of movement is among its main national demands.

And on Monday, China quickly condemned the decision to acquire the program as a “provocative and dangerous move” and warned that it risked creating an “arms race.”

“It is a choice that does not care about the history of its people and the people of Southeast Asia, as well as the security of the region,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning on Monday.

“The region needs peace and prosperity, not missiles and fighting,” he added, urging Manila to “correct its wrong practices as soon as possible.”

As a rule, it takes at least two years or more for the Philippine military to get a new weapons system to the planning stage, Galido said on Monday, adding that the 2025 budget had not yet been allocated.

It took five years for Manila to receive the BrahMos cruise missile last year, he added.

The Typhon ground-based missile launcher, developed by Lockheed Martin for the US Army, has a range of 300 miles, although a longer-range version is still under development.

Galido said the Typhoon program will enable the military to “use force” to go out to 200 nautical kilometers, which is the limit of the island nation’s maritime rights under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

“You must realize that in the area of ​​200 nautical miles, there is no land there and the soldiers cannot go there,” he said.

The Typhoon platform will “protect our floating assets,” he said, a reference to Philippine navy and coast guard vessels and other vessels.

China’s Defense Minister Dong Jun warned in June that the deployment of the Typhoon “seriously harms regional security and stability.”

But Galido dismissed criticism of the Typhoon program in the Philippines.

“We shouldn’t worry about it seeming like other people don’t trust themselves because we have no plans to go beyond the needs of our country,” he said.