Philippine soldiers to train on US Typhon missile system

MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine soldiers will train on the U.S. military's intermediate range missile system during unilateral army drills next month as part of preparations for bigger exercises with U.S. counterparts, a military official said on Tuesday.

The Typhon missile system was deployed by U.S. forces to the Philippines in April last year as part of their Balikatan or "shoulder-to-shoulder" military exercises, and has since stayed in the country, angering China which has repeatedly called for its withdrawal.

Reuters reported last week the launchers were redeployed to a new location in the Philippines, which officials decline to disclose.

Tomahawk cruise missiles used in the launchers are capable of hitting targets in both China and Russia from the Philippines. The SM-6 missiles it also carries can strike air or sea targets more than 200 km (165 miles) away.

A platoon of about 20 soldiers from the army artillery regiment will train with the U.S. Army Pacific's First Multi-Domain Task Force in mid-February, Philippine army spokesperson Louie Dema-ala said.

The exercise will focus on the "payload delivery system" and will highlight the system's capabilities, Dema-ala said, adding it would not include live-fire exercises.

"As long as the MRC (mid-range capability) is here, we maximise its utilisation to train our personnel with these new technologies," Dema-ala told a media briefing.

The Philippines last year expressed interest to acquire the launchers as part of its modernisation programme.

Philippine military spokesperson Francel Margareth Padilla on Tuesday said preparations were underway for this year's annual Balikatan exercises, which are billed to be one of the biggest.

Security engagements between the Philippines and treaty ally, the United States, have intensified in recent years, as both countries aim to counter what they see as an increasingly assertive China.

Strong ties between the two are expected to continue under U.S. President Donald Trump, whose Secretary of State Marco Rubio last week reaffirmed Washington's "ironclad" commitment to the Philippines under their decades-old mutual defence treaty.

(Reporting by Mikhail Flores; Editing by Martin Petty)

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