United States Army Deploys New Medium-Range Missile in the Philippines as Signal to China. Photo: Twitter @TeamAFP
The United States Army conducted the first deployment of its new Medium-Range Capability (MRC) missile in Luzon, Philippines. The action took place as part of the Salaknib exercise, emphasizing the strategic importance of this new capability for American military presence in Asia.
The 1st Multidomain Task Force was responsible for transporting the MRC missile over 8,000 miles, from Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington to the Philippines, using a C-17 Globemaster cargo plane. The deployment, which lasted over 15 hours, was confirmed in an April 15 statement by the U.S. Army in the Pacific.
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The MRC positions itself between the Precision Strike Missile, with a range of 499 kilometers, and the Army’s land-based hypersonic missiles. Lockheed Martin was selected in November 2020 to build the prototype of this missile, receiving a contract of nearly $340 million to adapt naval missile technologies for this new system.
The MRC system includes a vertical launcher and employs Standard Missile-6 and Tomahawk missiles, produced by Raytheon. It is complemented by a battery operations center, four launchers, main engines, and adapted trailers.
The Salaknib exercise, conducted jointly with the armed forces of the Philippines, aims to strengthen readiness and improve operational capabilities, highlighting the “long and strong alliance between the U.S. and the Philippines” and enhancing bilateral land power and joint operations capabilities.
Regional Tensions between the Philippines and China
The Philippines, like Japan, are U.S. allies in defense treaties and have territorial disputes with China. In the case of the Philippines, the focus of tensions has been the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea, an area of intense territorial disputes. In the 1990s, the Philippines positioned a former World War II transport ship on the sandbank to assert its claim, which now serves as a base for rotating Filipino marines.
This strategic move by the U.S., deploying the MRC in the Philippines, is seen as a direct response to regional challenges and a clear signal to China of the American commitment to defend its allies and interests in the region.
Source and images: Twitter @TeamAFP. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
