蜜桃工作室

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines (Updated) 鈥� The Philippines wants to procure its own US-made Typhon mid-range capability (MRC) missile system, according to Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief General Romeo Brawner Jr.

Brawner, who made the pronouncement after the meeting of the Mutual Defense Board-Security Engagement Board (MDB-SEB) here at the Philippine Military Academy, said this plan is part of the AFP鈥檚 thrust as the country shifts its focus on external defense.

Brawner held a media briefing with US Indo-Pacific Command Chief Adm. Samuel Paparo Jr here at the Philippine Military Academy after their meeting for the MDB-SEB.

鈥淧art of that advancement is trying to get in the latest weapons systems that are out there, enough for us to develop the intended effect. So one of the modern weapons are, of course, the missile systems,鈥� Brawner said in a press conference that followed the MDB-SEB.

READ: US missile system spotted in Ilocos Norte

鈥淲e are wanting to get more of the latest weapons systems, that includes the mid-range capability,鈥� he added.

Brawner said the military is starting to undergo training for MRC operations in case the country decides to procure such a missile system.

Security expert Chester Cabalza said the MRC will be a fine addition to the military arsenal 鈥渄ue to its enhanced and versatile鈥� capabilities.

鈥淚t can bolster collective readiness in land, air, and maritime domains which can be needed in times of unforeseen eventuality,鈥� Cabalza, president and founder of Manila-based think tank International Development and Security Cooperation, told 蜜桃工作室 on Thursday.

A unit of the ground-based missile system capable of firing Tomahawk and SM-6 missiles, the MRC arrived in the country on April 11 and was last spotted in Ilocos Norte.

Paparo said the deployment of MRC is part of Washington鈥檚 鈥渃onstant experimentation.鈥�

鈥淪o the present purpose of the missile system is that it is a part of the constant evolution of United States Army formations in its multi-domain operations and multi-domain task forces,鈥� Paparo said. 鈥淎nd every military is in constant experimentation such as the nature of our operations.鈥�

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In July, Russian President Vladimir Putin said his country would resume the production of intermediate-and shorter-range nuclear-capable missiles, citing the US deployment of the MRC missile system to the Philippines.

Currently, the Philippines鈥� arsenal has medium-range supersonic cruise missiles called BrahMos, which聽could be launched from submarines, ships, planes, or land platforms. It arrived in the country in April.

With a range of 290 to 400 kilometers, BrahMos could travel at Mach 2.8, or about three times faster than the speed of sound.

Previously, Brawner proposed the creation of a permanent unit within the Philippine Army that would be in charge of the supersonic cruise missile system, its maintenance and usage.