22 September 2024

US Army Hints New Missile System Could Reach China and Russia's Doorstep

Ryan Chan

A visit by the Japanese army to a military base in the United States last week hinted at the possible future deployment of a new American missile system near China and Russia.

Photos shared by the U.S. Air Force's 62nd Airlift Wing showed it hosted a delegation of Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state. One of the pictures showed the U.S. Army's latest Mid-Range Capability missile system, also known as the Typhon.

The Army stood up its second Typhon battery at the West Coast base in January. The introduction was part of an ongoing upgrade to the service's long-range precision fires, in response to challenges posed by Russian and Chinese ballistic missile units.

The modernization plan involves developing longer-range systems as well as modifying existing air- and sea-launched missiles for ground launch.

The Typhon fires two types of anti-surface and -air munitions already used by the U.S. Navy: the Tomahawk cruise missile and the Standard Missile 6, with respective ranges of 1,000 and 290 miles.

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