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The Philippines said Monday it plans to acquire the U.S. Typhon missile system to secure its maritime interests, sparking warnings in China of a regional “arms race.”
The U.S. Army stationed the medium-range missile system in the northern Philippines earlier this year for annual joint military exercises with its longtime ally and decided to keep it there despite criticism from Beijing that it was destabilizing for Asia.
Philippine Army Lt. Lt. Roy Galido said at a news conference on Monday that the missile system “is being procured because we see its feasibility and functionality in our concept of implementing archipelago defense.”
“I am pleased to report to our compatriots that your army is developing this capability in the interest of protecting our sovereignty,” he said, adding that the overall cost of the acquisition would depend on “economic viability.”
The presence of the U.S. missile launcher had angered Beijing, whose navy and coast guard have been embroiled in escalating confrontations with the Philippines in recent months over disputed reefs and waters in the South China Sea.
Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea, a key global shipping route, although an international ruling says its claim has no legal basis.
Manila and Washington, long-time treaty partners, have deepened their agreements Defense cooperation Beijing’s claims to the South China Sea began rolling back since Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos took office in 2022.
The US does not claim ownership of the South China Sea, but has warned against it committed to defending the Philippines if its forces are attacked there, and has declared that freedom of navigation is one of its core national interests.
And on Monday, China quickly condemned the decision to acquire the system as a “provocative and dangerous move” and warned that it could trigger an “arms race.”
“It is an extremely irresponsible decision for the history of our own people and the people of Southeast Asia as well as for regional security,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Monday.
“The region needs peace and prosperity, not missiles and confrontation,” she added, calling on Manila to “correct its wrong practices as soon as possible.”
Typically, it takes at least two or more years for the Philippine military to procure a new weapons system from the planning stage, Galido said on Monday, adding that it has not yet been budgeted for 2025.
It took five years for Manila to receive the BrahMos cruise missiles last year, he added.
The medium-range land-based Typhon missile launcher developed by Lockheed Martin for the U.S. Army has a range of 300 miles, but a longer-range version is in development.
Galido said the Typhon system would allow the army to project “forces” outward up to 200 nautical miles, which is the limit of the archipelago’s maritime claims under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
“It must be noted that there is no land there within 200 nautical miles and the army cannot get there,” he said.
The Typhon platform “will protect our floating assets,” he said, referring to Philippine Navy and Coast Guard ships and other vessels.
Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun warned in June that the Typhon deployment “significantly harms regional security and stability.”
But Galido rejected criticism of the Typhon system in the Philippines.
“We should not be bothered by the seeming insecurity of others, because we do not intend to abandon the interests of our country,” he said.
