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Marcos: Manila Will Give Up Missiles if China Stops Maritime Aggression

U.S. Army Midrange Capability (Typhon) launcher arrives at an airfield in Luzon (U.S. Army file image)
U.S. Army Typhon launcher system arrives at an airfield in Luzon (U.S. Army file image)

Published Jan 30, 2025 10:47 PM by The Maritime Executive

The Chinese government has repeatedly criticized the Philippines for hosting the U.S.-built Typhon missile system, a mobile launcher that can be used against land, air and naval targets. On Thursday, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. issued an offer: stop aggression in Philippine waters, and Manila will send back the missile system. 

"Let's make a deal with China: stop claiming our territory, stop harassing our fishermen and let them have a living, stop ramming our boats, stop water cannoning our people, stop firing lasers at us and stop your aggressive and coercive behavior and I'll return the Typhon missiles," he told reporters. "I don't understand the comments on the Typhon missile system. We don't make any comments on their missile systems and their missile systems are a thousand times more powerful than what we have." 

China claims almost all of the South China Sea as its own, including a large swath of the Philippines' western exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The China Coast Guard has often used physical tactics to block Philippine vessels' movements, including shouldering, water-cannoning, aggressive maneuvering and at least one opposed boarding. So far, Manila has refrained from responding with force.  

The Typhon is a mobile launcher for SM-6 and Tomahawk missiles. With modern variants of the Tomahawk, it can strike naval and land-based targets at very long range, up to about 1,000 miles. This is enough to reach mainland China from northern Luzon.  

Typhon may have some deterrent effect in the South China Sea, but China has a steep advantage with a vast ballistic missile force, a network of strategic airbases and the world's largest navy. It also has the world's largest coast guard, which has steadily ratcheted up pressure on Philippine forces, including a new presence operation in Philippine waters (below).