US Army readies second Typhon battery for Pacific deployment

The U.S. Army’s 3rd Multidomain Task Force unit is standing up its long-range fires battalion over the next year, including readying its Typhon battery for deployment in the Pacific theater — marking the Army’s second such missile system to enter the region, according to the unit’s commander.

The Army has two certified and fielded Typhon batteries, also known as Midrange Capability missiles , stationed out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, Col. Michael Rose, the 3rd MDTF commander, told reporters in a media roundtable Friday.

The 3rd Multidomain Task Force, or MDTF, headquartered in Hawaii, will officially receive its Typhon battery at JBLM this year, according to Rose.

The Lockheed Martin-built system , consisting of a vertical launch system that uses the Navy’s Raytheon-built Standard Missile-6 and Tomahawk missiles, can strike targets in the 500- to 2,000-kilometer range. The complete system has a battery operations center, four launchers, prime movers and modified trailers.

Defense News first reported the Army’s plan to pursue the midrange missile in September 2020. The Army fielded the capability in less than three years.

The Army deployed its first Typhon missile launcher to the Philippines in 2024 as part of the joint exercise Salaknib, where the 1st MDTF transported it 8,000 miles via a C-17 Globemaster cargo aircraft. The system has remained on the island of Luzon.

“We’re constantly looking for opportunities to exercise capability like that forward in theater,” Rose said. “We learn enormous lessons by bringing capability into the theater.”

Rose said the Army anticipates the Typhon supporting Operation Pathways , a series of year-round exercises designed to strengthen cooperation with regional allies and deter China.

China criticized the first deployment of the Typhon in 2024, warning it could destabilize the region. Officials have yet to fire the missile system in the Philippines.

When asked if his unit might conduct a live-fire exercise with the Typhon system, Rose said, “We’re always looking for opportunities to do live-fire with the system. It gives us enormous benefit to be able to do that, so we’re looking for the opportunity to do that at any time in our campaigning activities to include the next 12 months.”

Meanwhile, the Army is working to field another three batteries to the remaining multidomain task force units between fiscal 2026 and 2028, the service’s Program Executive Office Missiles & Space, told Defense News. The Army plans to next field a battery to the 2nd MDTF based in Europe in fiscal 2026.

The service is also working to build out its MDTF structure by fiscal 2028 .

Established at JBLM around 2018, the Army’s first MDTF was experimental , but the service has since made it operational and will ultimately build four more. Multidomain task force units have since participated in U.S. Indo-Pacific Command exercises that have helped inform the Army’s Multidomain Operations warfighting concept, which has now evolved into doctrine .

The Army’s fourth MDTF, stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado, will focus on the Pacific theater and is anticipated to be established in full by fiscal 2027. The 5th MDTF will be stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where it will concentrate on regions as determined. It will be operational by fiscal 2028.

Jen Judson is an award-winning journalist covering land warfare for Defense News. She has also worked for Politico and Inside Defense. She holds a Master of Science degree in journalism from Boston University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Kenyon College.

据该部队指挥官称，美国陆军第 3 多域特遣部队将在未来一年内组建其远程火力营，包括准备将其“台风”导弹连部署到太平洋战区——这标志着陆军第二个此类导弹系统进入该地区。

陆军第3多管特遣部队指挥官迈克尔·罗斯上校周五在媒体圆桌会议上告诉记者，陆军在华盛顿州刘易斯-麦科德联合基地部署了两套经过认证并已部署的台风导弹连（也称为中程能力导弹）。

据罗斯称，总部设在夏威夷的第3多域特遣部队（MDTF）将于今年在刘易斯-麦科德联合基地（JBLM）正式接收其台风导弹防御系统。

这套由洛克希德·马丁公司制造的系统，包括一个垂直发射系统，使用海军雷神公司制造的标准-6型导弹和战斧导弹，射程可达500至2000公里。整套系统包括一个作战指挥中心、四个发射装置、牵引车和改装拖车。

《防务新闻》于 2020 年 9 月率先报道了陆军研发中程导弹的计划。陆军在不到三年的时间内就实现了这一能力。

2024年，作为“萨拉克尼布”联合演习的一部分，美国陆军向菲律宾部署了首套“台风”导弹发射系统。当时，第一多国联合特遣部队使用C-17“环球霸王”运输机，将其从8000英里外运送至菲律宾。该系统一直驻扎在吕宋岛。

罗斯说：“我们一直在寻找机会，在前线战区演练这类能力。通过将这种能力部署到战区，我们能汲取大量经验教训。”

罗斯表示，陆军预计“台风”导弹系统将支持“路径行动”，这是一系列旨在加强与地区盟友合作并威慑中国的全年演习。

中国批评菲律宾计划于2024年首次部署“台风”导弹系统，并警告称这可能破坏地区稳定。目前，菲律宾官员尚未在菲律宾试射该导弹系统。

当被问及他的部队是否会使用 Typhon 系统进行实弹演习时，罗斯说：“我们一直在寻找机会使用该系统进行实弹演习。能够进行实弹演习对我们大有裨益，因此我们正在寻求机会，在包括未来 12 个月在内的任何作战活动中进行实弹演习。”

与此同时，陆军导弹与航天项目执行办公室告诉《防务新闻》，陆军正计划在2026至2028财年间向剩余的多域特遣部队部署另外三个导弹连。陆军计划在2026财年向驻扎在欧洲的第二多域特遣部队部署下一个导弹连。

该机构也在努力在 2028 财年之前建立其 MDTF 结构。

陆军首个多域特遣部队于2018年左右在刘易斯-麦科德联合基地（JBLM）成立，最初是试验性质的，但此后已投入实战，并计划最终再组建四个。多域特遣部队此后参与了美国印太司令部的演习，这些演习有助于完善陆军的多域作战概念，该概念现已发展成为作战条令。

陆军第四多国联合特遣部队（MDTF）驻扎在科罗拉多州卡森堡，将重点部署在太平洋战区，预计将于2027财年全面组建完成。第五多国联合特遣部队将驻扎在北卡罗来纳州布拉格堡，其任务重点将根据具体情况而定，预计将于2028财年投入运作。

珍·贾德森是一位屡获殊荣的记者，为《防务新闻》报道陆地战争。她也曾为《政治报》和《内幕防务》工作。她拥有波士顿大学新闻学硕士学位和凯尼恩学院文学学士学位。