U.S. and Philippine Forces Successfully Test-Fire Tomahawk Missile
In a significant military exercise, the U.S. Army Pacific’s 1st Multi-Domain Task Force, alongside the Philippine Army Artillery Regiment, has executed a successful test-firing of a Tomahawk cruise missile. This operation took place in the central Philippines, where the missile was launched from the Typhon launcher, striking a target 600 kilometers away in Nueva Ecija.
According to Col. Dennis Hernandez from the Philippine Marines, the missile was fired at approximately 12:10 a.m. local time on May 5. It reached its mark within Fort Magsaysay in Laur, Nueva Ecija, about an hour later. “The missile was very precise. Let’s say if you want to hit a window from a far distance, it lands directly into that window,” Hernandez detailed. “This skimming missile traveled all the way from Tacloban to the target in Laur.”
The test was part of a night land maneuver exercise led by the 25th Infantry Division in Fort Magsaysay, a segment of the ongoing Balikatan annual joint drills involving American and Filipino troops.
This year’s Balikatan exercises include approximately 17,000 troops from nations such as Japan, Australia, France, Canada, and New Zealand. The deployment of the Typhon launcher in the Philippines, particularly its long-range capabilities when equipped with Tomahawks, has drawn criticism from Chinese officials.
Philippine authorities have stated that training with the Typhon missile system will inform future military acquisitions. Initially, there were uncertainties about the launch’s timing, with local defense officials announcing possible dates of May 4 or May 5. However, U.S. military personnel mentioned potential “obstacles” that could lead to a cancellation.
The missile launch was strategically timed to precede a joint maritime strike exercise in Ilocos Norte. This event is planned to feature the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force’s Type 88 anti-ship missile system and the U.S. Marine Corps’ NMESIS, a mobile, shore-based missile launcher.
Prior to the exercise, the Philippine Coast Guard issued a navigational warning on April 27 in Eastern Visayas, advising locals to take precautions from May 5 to May 7 due to military activities off San Pedro Bay. A subsequent notice highlighted missile-related operations involving the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile system (TLAM).
Col. Hernandez explained that the use of the Tomahawk was contingent on the evolving scenario. “Using the Tomahawk was planned — but it depended on the scenario on the ground. There’s a control group that controls the scenario and the exercise and if it is needed, then it is fired,” he elaborated. “It just so happened that the scenario last night required using the Tomahawk to support ground troops,” he added.
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