2024 China seethes as US missile system stays in Philippines

Source: Philstar.com: 2024.09.20 China seethes as US missile system stays in Philippines

According to Reuters, which spoke to Philippine Army Spokesperson Col. Louie Dema-ala on Wednesday, September 18, the missile system was still being used for training, and the decision on when to remove it has been left up to the US Army Pacific.

An unnamed public affairs officer for the US Army Pacific, however, pointed back to the Philippine Army, according to the report. The officer said the Philippine Army had allowed the Typhon to stay beyond September and soldiers trained with it as recently as last week, engaging “in discussions over employing the system, with a focus on integrating host nation support.”

A senior Philippine government official who spoke to Reuters on background said the Typhon was in the Philippines for a “test on the feasibility of deploying it in country so that when the need arises, it could easily be deployed here.”

“If ever it will be pulled out, it is because the objective has been achieved and it may be brought (back) in after all the repairs or the construction would have been done,” the official said. “We want to give them sleepless nights.”