The United States’ first firing of its Philippines-based Typhon missile launcher last week marked the “worst provocation” in years in the South China Sea and Beijing should ramp up air defence and stealth strike drones in response, according to Chinese military observers.
Beijing has opposed the Typhon deployment since the Lockheed Martin system arrived at its Luzon base in the Philippines two years ago, claiming it has destabilised regional security.
The ground-based vertical launch system can fire Tomahawk and SM-6 missiles, with ranges between 500km and 2,000km (311-1,240 miles), potentially putting China within reach of Luzon.
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After the Typhon was deployed to the Philippines in 2024, troops practised moving it around in the tropical environment but did not conduct any live-fire tests.
That changed on May 5, when it was used to fire a Tomahawk cruise missile during the US-Philippine Balikatan joint exercise – a move described by military commentator Wei Dongxu as the “most serious military provocation” over the years by the US in the region.
According to Song Zhongping, a military analyst and former instructor with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the Tomahawk was fired from Luzon Island and flew northbound, clearly aiming at the Taiwan Strait.
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