The US is moving Typhoon cruise missiles to a new location in the northern Philippines

US SOLDIERS have moved the Typhoon missile, which can fire multi-purpose missiles at a range of thousands of kilometers, from an airfield in Laoag, Philippines, to another location on the island of Luzon, a senior Philippine government source said.

Tomahawk cruise missiles in the launchers can hit targets in China and Russia from the Philippines. The SM-6 missiles can also hit air or sea targets up to 200 kilometers (165 miles) away.

A senior Philippine government source said the redeployment will help determine where and how quickly the missile battery can be moved to the new firing range. That movement is seen as a way to enable them to survive during the conflict.

Satellite images showed batteries and related gear being loaded onto a C-17 transport plane at Laoag International Airport in recent weeks, said Jeffrey Lewis of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. The white rain canopies that covered the Typhoon’s engines have also been removed, based on images seen by Reuters.

The Typhon program is part of the US campaign to stockpile various anti-ship weapons in Asia.

The Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), which oversees US forces in the region, told Reuters that the Typhoons had been “moved to the Philippines.” Both INDOPACOM and the Philippine government declined to provide a specific location to which the batteries were moved.

“The US government has collaborated closely with the Philippine government on all aspects of the deployment of the MRC, including location,” said Commander Matthew Comer of INDOPACOM, referring to the Typhoon by its official name, a medium-sized force.

He added that the move is not an indication that the batteries will remain in the Philippines forever.

The weapon was heavily criticized by China when it was first used in April 2024 during a training exercise. In September, when the US said it had no immediate plans to remove Typhoons from the Philippines, China and Russia denounced the deployment as fueling an arms race.

China’s Foreign Ministry accused the Philippines on Thursday of creating tension and conflict in the region, and urged it to “correct its wrong practices.”

“(The deployment) is also a futile decision for the people of the country and other countries in Southeast Asia, as well as for the security of the region,” said ministry spokesperson Mao Ning at a press conference.

The Typhoons are easy to manufacture – drawing on large reserves and designs that are a decade or more old – and could help the US and its allies catch up quickly in the Indo-Pacific missile race in which China is leading the way.

Although the US military has declined to say how many will be deployed to the Indo-Pacific region, more than 800 SM-6 cruise missiles are expected to be purchased over the next five years, according to government documents detailing military purchases. Several thousand Tomahawks are already in the US, the documents showed.

Both missiles are Raytheon products.

‘IRONCLAD COMMITMENT’
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed China’s “dangerous and damaging actions in the South China Sea” with his Philippine counterpart on Wednesday and reiterated the US’s defense commitment to Manila.

“Secretary Rubio stated that (China’s) behavior undermines peace and stability in the region and is inconsistent with international law,” the US State Department said in a statement issued by Secretary of State Enrique A. Manalo.

The two also discussed ways to strengthen security and economic ties between the two countries to “continue regional cooperation.”

The US is the Philippines’ main security partner, with a 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty obliging both countries to defend each other in the event of an armed attack.

The Philippines has been involved in maritime disputes with China for the past two years and the two countries have been constantly facing disputes in the South China Sea which falls within Manila’s exclusive economic zone.

The request of Mr. Rubio came after he hosted his counterparts from Australia, India and Japan at a China-focused “Quad” forum on Tuesday, a day after President Donald J. Trump returned to the White House. The four are committed to working together.

Quad members and the Philippines share concerns about China’s growing power and analysts said Tuesday’s meeting was designed to show the Indo-Pacific’s progress and that dealing with Beijing would be a priority for Mr.

On the phone with Mr. Manalo, Mr. Rubio “emphasized the United States’ strong commitment to the Philippines” under their Mutual Defense Agreement and discussed ways to advance security cooperation, expand economic ties and deepen regional cooperation, according to the statement.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said its activities in the waters were “reasonable, legal and beyond suspicion.”

Speaking at a regular press conference, Ms. Mao, a spokeswoman for China’s Foreign Ministry, said the US is “not a party” to the South China Sea dispute, and has “no right to intervene” in maritime affairs between China and the Philippines.

“Military cooperation between the US and the Philippines should not undermine China’s sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea, and should not be used to validate the illegal claims of the Philippines,” he said.

Just before the inauguration of Mr. Trump, the Philippines and the US are holding their fifth set of joint naval exercises in the South China Sea since launching the exercises in 2023.

Security negotiations between the allies have increased significantly under Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., who has moved closer to Washington and allowed the expansion of military bases within the reach of the US military, including areas facing the democratic island of Taiwan, which China says. like its own.

Visiting the Philippines last week, Japan’s Foreign Minister, Takeshi Iwaya, said that the tripartite plan to promote cooperation initiated by Japan, the US and the Philippines at last year’s summit will be strengthened when the new US administration takes over in Washington.

“This is music to Manila’s ears as Washington supports and rebukes Beijing’s declarations that are not in line with international law,” said Chester B. Cabalza, founding president of Manila-based International Development and Security Cooperation, in a Facebook Messenger interview.

“But the US and the Philippines must work hard to maintain peace and order in the West Philippine Sea and ensure that China will not abuse its show of force and disobey the 2016 arbitral award,” he added.

On Thursday, the Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines, Endo Kazuya, said that Japan will continue to work with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to uphold the order based on the law.

“The world’s oceans are interconnected, and comprehensive international cooperation and cooperation is needed to address maritime security issues in each ocean region,” he said in his speech at a security forum in Manila. “We are committed to working with ASEAN countries and other concerned countries to maintain and strengthen the rule-based maritime system.” – John Victor D. Ordoñez with Reuters