PH, US training to focus on Typhon missile system

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino and American troops will again train using the Typhon missile system from the United States next month, but there will be no live fire drills.

Col. Louie Dema-ala, the Philippine Army spokesperson, said in a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo on Tuesday that the training involving members of the Army’s artillery regiment and the US Army Pacific’s First Multi-Domain Task Force will focus more on “the orientation and familiarization [with] the capability” of the Typhon.

READ: China renews call to pull out US missile in PH

This, he added, was in preparation for bilateral training like “Salaknib” and Balikatan. Salaknib, which means “shield” in Ilocano, is an annual exercise between Philippine and US armies to strengthen their interoperability, while Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder) refers to annual war games between troops of the two countries with observers from allied countries.

READ: PH to acquire US Typhon mid-range missile system – AFP

China earlier called on the Philippines to “quickly pull out” the Typhon missile system after it was reported to have been deployed to a new location on Luzon Island. —Nestor Corrales