US Army readies second Typhon battery for Pacific deployment
The U.S. Army's 3rd Multidomain Task Force unit is standing up its long-range fires battalion over the next year, including readying its Typhon battery for deployment in the Pacific theater — marking the Army's second such missile system to enter the region, according to the unit's commander.
The Army has two certified and fielded Typhon batteries, also known as Midrange Capability missiles, stationed out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, Col. Michael Rose, the 3rd MDTF commander, told reporters in a media roundtable Friday.
The 3rd Multidomain Task Force, or MDTF, headquartered in Hawaii, will officially receive its Typhon battery at JBLM this year, according to Rose.
The Lockheed Martin-built system, consisting of a vertical launch system that uses the Navy's Raytheon-built Standard Missile-6 and Tomahawk missiles, can strike targets in the 500- to 2,000-kilometer range. The complete system has a battery operations center, four launchers, prime movers and modified trailers.
Defense News first reported the Army's plan to pursue the midrange missile in September 2020. The Army fielded the capability in less than three years.
The Army deployed its first Typhon missile launcher to the Philippines in 2024 as part of the joint exercise Salaknib, where the 1st MDTF transported it 8,000 miles via a C-17 Globemaster cargo aircraft. The system has remained on the island of Luzon.
US, Philippines expand exercise to territorial edges amid tension with China
'We're constantly looking for opportunities to exercise capability like that forward in theater,' Rose said. 'We learn enormous lessons by bringing capability into the theater.'
Rose said the Army anticipates the Typhon supporting Operation Pathways, a series of year-round exercises designed to strengthen cooperation with regional allies and deter China.
China criticized the first deployment of the Typhon in 2024, warning it could destabilize the region. Officials have yet to fire the missile system in the Philippines.
When asked if his unit might conduct a live-fire exercise with the Typhon system, Rose said, 'We're always looking for opportunities to do live-fire with the system. It gives us enormous benefit to be able to do that, so we're looking for the opportunity to do that at any time in our campaigning activities to include the next 12 months.'
Meanwhile, the Army is working to field another three batteries to the remaining multidomain task force units between fiscal 2026 and 2028, the service's Program Executive Office Missiles & Space, told Defense News. The Army plans to next field a battery to the 2nd MDTF based in Europe in fiscal 2026.
The service is also working to build out its MDTF structure by fiscal 2028.
Established at JBLM around 2018, the Army's first MDTF was experimental, but the service has since made it operational and will ultimately build four more. Multidomain task force units have since participated in U.S. Indo-Pacific Command exercises that have helped inform the Army's Multidomain Operations warfighting concept, which has now evolved into doctrine.
The Army's fourth MDTF, stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado, will focus on the Pacific theater and is anticipated to be established in full by fiscal 2027. The 5th MDTF will be stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where it will concentrate on regions as determined. It will be operational by fiscal 2028.
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