Philippines troops to get Typhon training next month

MANILA, Philippines — A Philippine platoon will be trained in using a US mid-range missile system next month ahead of joint drills, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said yesterday, in a move that will further fuel tensions with China.

The US military deployed the Typhon missile system in northern Philippines last year as part of an annual joint exercise, but it was not removed after the war games ended.

The system’s presence has angered Beijing, whose forces have confronted Philippine vessels in recent months over reefs and waters in the South China Sea.

Last month, the AFP said it was planning to acquire the Typhon system as part of a push to secure its maritime interests, sparking warnings from China of a regional “arms race.”

A new platoon from the AFP’s Army Artillery Regiment will receive “orientation and familiarization” training on the system, starting in the second or third week of February, Army spokesman Col. Louie Dema-ala said at a press conference.

The weeklong training will involve troops from the 1st Multi-Domain Task Force of the US Army Pacific, Dema-ala said.

“This is a continuation of what we’ve learned in the first (training) iteration. New units will be involved in the training and a continuation of the previous platoon that was trained last year,” he said.

“As long as MRC (mid-range missile capability) is here, we maximize its utilization to train our personnel in new technology,” he added.

Dema-ala said the training is in preparation for this year’s Salaknib, an annual joint exercise between the Philippines and US armies.

The training location cannot be disclosed, he told reporters, noting that there will be no firing of the Typhon system.

Philippine military spokesperson Col. Francel Padilla said moving the launcher from its initial location to a different part of the country is a test “to see how these logistical trains can be transported to certain locations, to certain salient points.”

Philippine military officials have said the Typhon system could protect vessels up to 370 kilometers or 200 nautical miles off the coast — the limit of its maritime entitlement under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Last week, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning renewed calls for the Philippines to “stop going further down the wrong path.”