US Fires Tomahawk Missile Amid Tensions With China Over Pacific War Games
The U.S. military test-fired a Tomahawk missile from the Philippines during the Balikatan military exercise, marking the first known use of the Mid-Range Capability 'Typhon' system on Philippine soil. The drill, involving 17,000 troops and seven countries including Japan, has drawn strong criticism from China, which views the exercises as destabilizing. The missile launch underscores growing U.S.-Philippine defense cooperation amid rising tensions over the South China Sea and concerns about a potential conflict over Taiwan.
- ▪The U.S. fired a Tomahawk missile from Tacloban Airport in the Philippines, hitting a target 390 miles away at Fort Magsaysay.
- ▪The Typhon missile system can launch both Tomahawk and Standard Missile-6, giving it reach over much of China's eastern seaboard and the South China Sea.
- ▪China denounced the Balikatan drills as provocative and conducted its own naval and air patrols near Scarborough Shoal in response.
- ▪The Balikatan exercise is the largest U.S.-Philippine drill to date and included participation from Japan for the first time.
- ▪Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has increased challenges to Chinese maritime presence in the country's exclusive economic zone since 2023.
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By Micah McCartneyChina News ReporterShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberSee more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.A U.S. military Mid-Range Capability missile system was test-fired on Philippine soil, Manila confirmed Tuesday, in a first for the Southeast Asian country amid ongoing drills that are being closely watched by China.The U.S. Army moved its Mid-Range Capability, nicknamed the "Typhon," to the Philippines ahead of joint training in April 2024, as the Mutual Defense Treaty allies strengthened defense ties amid rising tensions with China.
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