MANILA, Philippines – Ikinatuwa ng Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) nitong Martes, Marso 25 ang mga ulat na magpapadala ang United States Indo-Pacific Command (US INDOPACOM) ng panibagong battery ng Mid-Range Capability (MRC) Typhon missile sa bansa.
“This is a welcome development for the AFP. We could say na the more, the merrier. The more assets we have, the more also that we are able to train our personnel,” pahayag ni AFP spokesperson Colonel Francel Margareth Padilla sa press briefing sa Quezon City.
“The Philippine Army welcomes this dahil mas mapapabilis natin ang training ng ating personnel,” dagdag naman ni Philippine Army spokesperson Colonel Louie Dema-ala.
Sa report ng US-based Defense News, sinabi na ang 3rd Multidomain Task Force unit ng US Army ay “standing up its long-range fires battalion over the next year, including readying its Typhon battery for deployment in the Pacific theater.”
Ito na ang ikalawang missile system na papasok sa rehiyon.
Matatandaan na ipinadala ng US ang kauna-unahang Typhon missile system sa Pilipinas noong Abril 2024 bilang bahagi ng joint Salaknib at Balikatan exercises.
Sa pananatili ng naturang sistema sa bansa, ikinagalit naman ito ng pamahalaan ng China at sinabing ang paglalagay nito ay lumilikha ng tensyon sa rehiyon.
Sinabi naman ni Philippine Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad na ang defense posture ng bansa ay hindi naka-disenyo laban sa ibang mga bansa.
“We welcome all opportunities to be able to train with modern weapon systems. The defense posture of the Republic of the Philippines is not designed against any other country. It is an action of a sovereign state,” ani Trinidad.
“In the region, we have been abiding by the rules-based international order and international law. Other countries like the Chinese Communist Party [have] not been abiding by international law; they have been destructing the region.” RNT/JGC
