China's Biggest Targets Now in Striking Distance - Does Trump Have Beijing in Checkmate?
A U.S. missile system positioned in the Philippines places key Chinese military and commercial sites in striking range, sending a message that the U.S. will stand by its allies in the region.
The Wall Street Journal recently reported, “Last year, the U.S. Army moved the Typhon Missile System, which can fire missiles as far as 1,200 miles, to a base on Luzon Island in the northern Philippines. It is the first time since the Cold War that the U.S. military has deployed a land-based launching system with such a long range outside its borders.
“The Chinese government has responded to the Typhon’s deployment with alarm, rebuking the U.S. and the Philippines for fueling what it called an arms race,” the Journal added.
Philippines military welcomes reported deployment of second US Typhon missile system to PH
The Typhon system can fire Tomahawk & SM-6 missiles. Tomahawks to attack land targets & SM-6 missiles for air defense.
The Philippines military (AFP) on Tuesday welcomed reports that the… pic.twitter.com/Wni6RIvzWa
— Indo-Pacific News – Geo-Politics & Defense (@IndoPac_Info) March 26, 2025
Typhon launchers can fire two types of missiles. One is the Tomahawk cruise missile, which carries a conventional warhead and has a range of about 1,200 miles. It could be used to knock out key air defense and military command and control centers along the Chinese coast if Beijing chose to launch an invasion of Taiwan.
The other type of missile is the shorter range Standard Missile 6, or SM-6, which could be used to take out enemy ships or aircraft.
The U.S. has deployed the Typhon missile system to the Philippines, putting major Chinese military and industrial targets within striking range.
China has reacted angrily, calling it a provocation and threatening retaliation.
The move is a key test of Trump’s Indo-Pacific… pic.twitter.com/agrrhE1tid
— Clash Report (@clashreport) March 26, 2025
According to the Associated Press, the Typhons were first deployed to the Philippines under the Biden administration in April 2024.
Maj. Gen. Marcus Evans, commander of the Hawaii-based 25th Infantry Division, told the AP last fall that in addition to the Typhon deployment, the U.S. had sent the long-range High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, known as HIMARS, for joint exercises in the Philippines in 2023.
“Those are just incredibly important operations because you get to work in the environment, but most importantly, you’re working alongside our partners here in the Philippines to understand how those will be integrated into their operations,” Evans said.
Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll visited the U.S. troops manning the Typhons in Luzon last month.
Earlier this week I visited the 1st Multi Domain Task Force at @JBLM_PAO, spending time with the incredible soldiers and exquisite equipment. The Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) and Mid-Range Capability (MRC) are major combat-credible systems. We proved the MRC’s deterrent… pic.twitter.com/utLnLGhSAM
— Secretary of the Army (@SecArmy) March 13, 2025
The AP noted that the Typhon launchers were supposed to be flown back out of the Philippines last September, but according to three of the nation’s security officials, the U.S. agreed to keep them there indefinitely to deter Chinese aggression.
Last week, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth traveled to the region and met with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
President @bongbongmarcos, thank you for the warm welcome. Our commitment to the U.S.-Philippines alliance remains ironclad, and our two nations will continue to work together to strengthen deterrence in this vital region. pic.twitter.com/GdLS41nhYE
— Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (@SecDef) March 28, 2025
“Deterrence is necessary around the world but specifically in this region, in your country, considering the threats from the communist Chinese,” Hegseth told Marcos, Fox News reported. “Friends need to stand shoulder to shoulder to deter conflict, to ensure that there is free navigation, whether you call it the South China Sea or the West Philippine Sea.”
“Peace through strength is a very real thing,” Hegseth said and praised the Philippines for its “very firm” stand against China.
Marcos stated that Hegseth’s decision to visit the Philippines first in Asia “sends a very strong message of the commitment of both our countries to continue to work together to maintain peace in the Indo-Pacific region, within the South China Sea.”
Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Jay Tarriela pointed to Beijing’s establishment of military bases on barrier islands in the West Philippine Sea as proof that it is the aggressor nation.
Before China can mislead the international community by claiming that the Philippines is provoking them and escalating tensions in the West Philippine Sea, it’s important to highlight some key facts.
First, China occupied Panganiban Reef in 1995, claiming it would serve only as… https://t.co/H6ezGOtXYm pic.twitter.com/Pk9w0Irr6u
— Jay Tarriela (@jaytaryela) March 30, 2025
Through the continued deployment of Typhons in the Philippines, the U.S. is sending a clear message to Beijing to back off from threatening the security of American allies.
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