The United States has no immediate plans to retire the Typhon long-range Mid-Range Capability missile system, deployed in the Philippines, despite Chinese reactions.

The Typhon system, which can be equipped with SM-6 and Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAM) missiles capable of striking targets in a range exceeding 1,600 km, was brought to the Philippines for joint exercises earlier in April this year but has remained there.

The missiles are launched by Lockheed Martin’s Mk 70 Mod 1 launcher, a containerized system containing four cells from the Mark 41 Vertical Launching System, mounted onto a 40-foot ISO container.

A standard configuration of the system consists of the control station of the battery, four launchers, and the supportive vehicles.

The Philippines is an important part of US strategy in Asia and would be an indispensable ally for the military to aid Taiwan in the event of a Chinese attack. 

China and Russia have condemned the first deployment of the system to the Indo-Pacific, accusing Washington of fuelling an arms race.

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