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The United States (US) plans deploying a new medium-range missile launch system in the Asia-Pacific by the end of this year, according to the US Army Pacific’s commanding general.
Reports said that be the system that can address threats from North Korea and China. Deploying the system is likely to be part of a testing and training process. The first prototypes of the Typhon system were delivered to the US Army in November 2022, according to a report in the South China Morning Post.
Garren Mulloy, an international-relations professor at Daito Bunka University in Japan and a specialist in military issues, said that there is little data available about the Typhon.
“New systems generally perform well on test ranges in deserts in the US, where they are not affected by the maritime climate, the high humidity of the Asia-Pacific region. The US army is going to want to see how it performs in more testing conditions and to start training the units that will operate it,” said Mulloy.
In November, General Charles Flynn, the commanding general, said at the Halifax International Security Forum that two Typhon batteries had been completed. “In 2024, we intend to deploy that system in the region,” he had said.
According to reports, a Typhon unit consists of a mobile operations centre, up to four autonomous mobile launchers, reload trailers and a support vehicle. The launchers can fire the Standard Missile 6, which can target enemy aircraft or inbound missiles and function as a high-speed anti-shipping weapon, and the Tomahawk cruise missile. The Tomahawk has a range of 1,600 km , which places it between the US’ Precision Strike Missile that has a range of around 805 km and the long-range hypersonic weapon that went into service last year and has a range of nearly 2,800 km.
“Deployment might be tricky in terms of arms control treaties that have been signed. There are various Cold War treaties that cover the deployment of missile systems, and while some have lapsed or been effectively abandoned, there are some who will argue that bringing Typhon into the Asia-Pacific region will be in breach of a treaty,” said Mulloy.
