Philippines Drops A Typhon Missile Gauntlet On China
Date
10/1/2024 8:13:38 AM
(MENAFN- Asia Times)
MANILA – The Philippines and China are staging dueling patrols and exercises this week in the South China Sea, the latest maneuvers in their ever-escalating maritime disputes. But recent moves on land threaten to tilt their tensions to a dangerous new level.
In what could evolve into a Cuban-like missile crisis, Manila recently announced it would“indefinitely” host America's state-of-the-art Typhon missile systems, a mid-range weapon the US could bring to bear in any conflict with China over Taiwan.
Despite strong opposition by China , and initial denials by Filipino officials, there are rising indications that the Philippine military intends to keep the much-vaunted American missile systems on its soil for the long term, or even“forever”, as military chief Romeo Brawner recently quipped .
As one senior Filipino official bluntly told the media , the Philippine government wants to give China“sleepless nights” by keeping the missile system on its soil.
The Typhon saga began earlier this year ahead of annual Philippine-US joint Balikatan exercises, the biggest ever staged.
In a“historic first”, the Pentagon deployed the newly developed missile system – capable of launching missiles including
SM-6 missiles and Tomahawks
over 1,600 kilometers (994 miles) – to mark a“significant step in our partnership with the Philippines.”
When China started to criticize the deployment, both American and Filipino officials were quick to downplay the move as a purely logistical exercise. In July, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi issued a strongly worded statement on the issue while accusing Manila and Washington of provoking a regional arms race .
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