A hard formula of medium-range missiles that Washington deployed to the Philippines in April for joint training of Balikatan’s army will be returned to the United States in September, a spokesman for the Philippine military told Kyodo News.
Army Colonel Louie Dema-ala demonstrated that the Typhoon missile formula would be returned to the United States, but gave no explanation as to why Washington halted the deployment.
The medium-range floor capability (MRC), capable of launching Tomahawk and SM-6 missiles, was also used for simulated firing training in a bilateral training in the South China Sea in May.
“Lately there are no plans to station U. S. forces in the Philippines. . . adding the MRC,” said a senior U. S. defense official who requested anonymity.
The deployment of the Typhoon missile formula was denounced by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who called for the resumption of production of intermediate-range missiles, banned under a now-abandoned treaty with the United States.
“Today we know that the United States only produces these missile systems, but that it has already brought them to Europe for exercises, to Denmark.
He recently announced that they were in the Philippines,” Putin said in a televised address on Friday.
The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, signed by Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and U. S. President Ronald Reagan in 1988, in the past banned land-based nuclear and traditional missiles with a range of 500 to 5,500 kilometers (310 to 3,410 miles). .
The United States withdrew from the treaty on 2019. La Typhoon missile formula would have been banned by the INF.
“We have to start the production of those attack systems and then, depending on the actual situation, make decisions about where to place them, if it is to ensure our security,” Putin said.
Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun, speaking at a meeting with U. S. Defense Chief Lloyd Austin in Singapore in May, said the missile formula seriously threatens security in the Asian region and undermines regional peace and stability.
Senator Aquilino Pimentel III, for his part, stated that the Philippines has not allowed the deployment of missile systems through foreign armed forces.
“The release buttons on those foreign-owned and controlled missile systems are not under our control; therefore, those foreigners when they need to turn the Philippines into a battlefield. It will be the Philippines that will be the battlefield, not your own country (ies),” Pimentel said in a Viber post.
Carlos Zárate, of Bayan Muna, warned that President Marcos’ “satellite-type U. S. foreign policy” “has helped bring the world to the breaking point of a new nuclear arms race. “
“We call on the leadership to respect the constitutional decrees to carry out an independent foreign policy and free the Philippines from nuclear weapons and foreign troops,” Zarate said in a statement.
At the same time, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said they are taking seriously Senator Imee Marcos’ claim that Chinese hypersonic missiles are being aimed at 25 targets in the Philippines, in an effort to gather more information about the anticipated threat.
“Regarding Senator Imee Marcos’ proposal on 25 spaces potentially attacked by Chinese hypersonic missiles due to the EDCA (Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement) sites and the West Sea scenario of the Philippines, AFP takes these considerations seriously,” AFP spokesman Colonel Francel Padilla said.
“We are in a position to coordinate with Senator Marcos to unload the main points and take appropriate measures to guarantee the security of our nation,” he added.
The Department of National Defense said it “had no explanation for why to comment on or react to Senator Marcos’ video, as we have not noticed or read the blueprints to which she referred. “
Senator Marcos said that EDCA’s sites in Batanes, Subic and Ilocos were the initial targets, but did not reveal where they gave her their data from.
“From what we have read, there are Brahmos missiles in Batanes and Subic. Therefore, these two will be given priority, along with Ilocos, because there are live-fire military exercises. It’s scary,” the senator said. With Kyodo News