Philippine military officials announced Tuesday that a platoon will undergo training on the US Typhon missile system in February 2025, ahead of planned joint military exercises between the two nations.
The week-long training program will focus on system orientation and familiarization, involving troops from the Philippines' Army Artillery Regiment working alongside the US Army Pacific's 1st Multi-Domain Task Force. No live-fire exercises will be conducted during the training.
This marks the second round of training on the Typhon system, which was initially deployed in northern Philippines during joint exercises last year and remained in the country afterward. The system's continued presence has drawn sharp criticism from China, which views it as a provocative move amid ongoing territorial disputes in the South China Sea.
Colonel Louie Dema-ala, Philippine army spokesman, emphasized that the training aims to maximize the technology's utilization while it remains in the country. The exact training location remains classified for security reasons.
The Typhon system, capable of protecting vessels up to 370 kilometers offshore, represents a major enhancement to Philippine maritime defense capabilities. The Philippine Army has expressed interest in acquiring the system permanently as part of its military modernization efforts.
China's foreign ministry has warned that deploying such "strategic offensive weapons" risks creating regional tensions and sparking an arms race. Spokesperson Mao Ning urged the Philippines to "stop going further down the wrong path."
The training initiative comes amid heightened tensions between Manila and Beijing, following several confrontations between Philippine and Chinese vessels in disputed waters of the South China Sea.