Philippine National Security Adviser Eduardo Año said on Saturday that the deployment of the Typhon missile system was an effort to enhance the country’s defense systems and not meant to ”undermine the security of any nation.”
In a statement, Año said that the Philippines has the right to determine the “most appropriate measures” on national security.
”Just like any other nation, the procurement of defense systems, including the Typhon missile launcher, is a step toward strengthening our deterrence capabilities and ensuring that we are prepared to defend our territory when required. It is important to emphasize that these systems are meant to bolster our defensive posture in line with continued modernization of our Armed Forces,” he said.
”In its long history as a sovereign nation, the Philippines has never provoked conflict, but we are always vigilant in defending our sovereignty against any potential threats. Our actions are meant to ensure peace and stability in the region, and we will never undermine the security of any nation,” he added.
Earlier, China claimed that the Philippines’ decision to deploy Typhon missiles risked an arms race in the region and that the Philippines must return to “peaceful development.”
“By cooperating with the United States in the introduction of Typhon, the Philippine side has surrendered its own security and national defense to others and introduced the risk of geopolitical confrontation and an arms race in the region, posing a substantial threat to regional peace and security,” said Mao Ning, a spokesperson at China’s foreign ministry.
“We once again advise the Philippine side that the only correct choice for safeguarding its security is to adhere to strategic autonomy, good neighborliness, and peaceful development,” Mao told reporters at a regular press conference on Thursday.
However, Philippines Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said that the deployment of Typhon missiles was “legitimate, legal, and beyond reproach.”
Without mentioning China, Año said, ”recent comments suggesting that our efforts to enhance our defense and deterrence capabilities—specifically the deployment of the Typhon missile system—are part of a broader arms race or pose a threat to the region or any country are unfounded and are pure speculation.”
Typhon, also known as the Strategic Mid-range Fires System (SMRF), is a United States Army transporter erector launcher that can fire Standard SM-6 and Tomahawk missiles.
It was deployed by the Philippines during joint exercises with allied states in 2024.
Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual shipborne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei.
In 2016, an international arbitration tribunal in the Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines over China’s claims in the South China Sea, saying that it had “no legal basis.”
China has not recognized the decision. — VBL, GMA Integrated News
