The US military intends to deploy a new medium-range missile system in the Indo-Pacific region.
General Charles Flynn, the commanding general of the US Army Pacific regional command, revealed the latest escalation in an interview with Japanese media while visiting Tokyo on Wednesday.
“I’m not going to discuss what system and I’m not going to say where and when,” Flynn said.
But media sources speculated that the US plans to deploy the Typhon missile system, capable of launching Tomahawk cruise missiles and SM-6 anti-aircraft and anti-ballistic missiles from ground-based platforms.
“Working with our allies and partners in the region and working together with the various joint exercises that we do have, those [missiles] will be introduced to the region soon,” stated Flynn.
US Deterrence Strategy Amidst Tensions With China
“The decision may be driven by various factors, with Taiwan looming as a significant concern," Vice Admiral (retd.) Satishkumar Namdeo Ghormade told Sputnik India.
Admiral Ghormade said the US was “contemplating bolstering military capabilities in the region as a deterrent strategy. This may involve signalling that deploying aircraft carriers to the Indo-Pacific may be challenging due to existing commitments in the Mediterranean and Red Sea.”
Typhon Missile System: Implications for Regional Dynamics in the Indo-Pacific
"If these missiles are deployed in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly, it may raise concerns and prompt protests from China. This could potentially alter the strategic landscape,” Sarabjeet Singh Parmar, Distinguished Fellow, United Service Institution of India (USI) & Council for Strategic and Defence Research (CSDR) told Sputnik India.
Parmar stressed that the deployment site would be significant. “If situated on US territory such as Guam, the dynamics shift. Conversely, if placed within allied territories like South Korea or Japan, the landscape changes.”
The introduction of the Typhon Missile system, according to Parmar, “is poised to alter regional dynamics in Indo-Pacific region, prompting a response from China aimed at maintaining the status quo. This could potentially escalate tensions in the region”.