THE military yesterday welcomed the possible deployment of a second US Typhon missile system to the Philippines, saying this will give Filipino troops more opportunity to familiarize themselves with the weapon system.
However, the planned deployment reported by a foreign online news outlet has not been confirmed.
“No idea yet,” said Army chief Lt. Gen. Roy Galido when asked about the report.
The deployment of another missile system is expected to further anger China which has repeatedly demanded sending the first Typhon missile system, which was deployed last year, back to the US. China has said the weapon system “gravely threatens regional countries’ security, incites geopolitical confrontation, and has aroused high vigilance and concerns of countries in the region.”
“This is a welcome development for the Armed Forces of the Philippines. We can say that there more, the merrier,” AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said of the reported deployment of a second Typhon.
“The more assets (US missile system) we have, the more also that we are able to train more personnel on our part,” she added.
The first Typhon missile system arrived in the country in April last year and was subsequently featured in military exercises between Filipino and US forces in Luzon.
Army spokesman Col. Louie Dema-ala said the reported plan will hasten the training of Army personnel on how to operate such platform.
The Philippine Army earlier said it planning to acquire a medium-range capability missile system, but not necessarily the Typhon, to enhance its territorial defense capability.
“This will expedite the training of our personnel. As of now, we’ve only trained a small number of personnel (on the operation of the Typhon). So we welcome this, if there will be additional,” said Dema-ala.
Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, Navy spokesman for the West Philippine Sea, said “we welcome all opportunities to be able to train further with modern weapon systems.”
Trinidad stressed that the defense posture of the Philippines is “is not designed against any other country. It is an action of a sovereign state.”
