Typhon, here is the US army’s new missile system
The US Army has redeployed some elements of its new missile system known as Typhon in the Philippines, practically perfect for the Indo-Pacific. Giovanni Martinelli's in-depth analysis
The US Army's announcement came as a surprise; one could rightly say, for obvious reasons of secrecy. Last April 11 – but official confirmation arrived only a few days later – the American Army redeployed some elements of its new missile system known as Typhon in the Philippines, using a flight carried out with a strategic transport aircraft C -17 Globamaster III directly from the United States.
The opportunity for this deployment is represented by the bilateral exercise Salaknib 2024 (but which this year will also see the participation of France); an exercise which also comes at a time of strong tension between Manila and Beijing on the one hand and, on the other, in a time of strengthening relations between the USA and the Philippines. So this exercise itself and, more particularly, the arrival of the Typhon end up representing a sort of "challenge" to China.
And the reason has been said: just like the other American Armed Forces, and taking into account the current crises in progress, namely Ukraine and the Middle East, the US Army is also continuing to pursue modernization and development plans focused on counteracting what is considered the true "strategic competitor" (a very polite expression, which in reality should be read as "enemy number 1") of Washington: the People's Republic of China. And among the most sought after operational capabilities to respond to the specific characteristics of the Indo-Pacific operational theater, those in the field of missiles are certainly (very) at the center of attention.
Hence the choice of the American Army itself to develop different systems with different characteristics in terms of range, speed and flight profiles; starting from the introduction into service of the "Precision Strike Missile" (PrSM), intended to replace the current Atacms launched by multiple rocket launchers of the MLRS and Himars types. This new ballistic device will be characterized by a greater range than the Atacms themselves, given that it will be able to reach 500 km; with the prospect of being able to extend it in the future.
To satisfy the operational needs linked to being able to hit further away targets (and more quickly), the US Army has begun the development of the "Long Range Hypersonic Weapon" (LRHW) or "Dark Eagle"; as the name itself explains, here we enter the field of hypersonic and long-range weapons. In this specific case, it is hypothesized that the LHRW will have a range of almost 3,000 km and could be able to reach Mach 17 in terms of speed.
It therefore becomes clear that there remained a sort of "hole" to cover; that is, the band between approximately 500 km of the PrSM and approximately 3,000 of the LRHW. An operational need that was immediately well understood by the US Army which in fact quickly started the "Mid-Range Capability" (MRC) program. Which, after an overall rapid gestation phase, saw the achievement of an important milestone in November 2020, when Lochkeed Martin was chosen as responsible for the development and production of what later became the current Typhon system .
WHAT IS THE TYPHON IN DETAIL
A system with decidedly particular characteristics, for a whole series of reasons. First of all, for its configuration. Each Typhon battery is in fact made up of 4 tractors plus related trailers which house what apparently appear to be normal containers; in reality, these containers house a 4-cell launcher, with the same number of missiles, which is erected in a vertical position for launch. Next to these vehicles, there is another tractor and trailer complex which however houses the "Battery Operations Center" (BOC) which carries out the command and control function of the battery itself. The BOC is connected to all the communication and data exchange networks of the American Army and Defense, receiving from them the information necessary for the possible launch of missiles.
The battery is completed by a series of trailers carrying missile reloads (all these trailers are expected to be moved by “Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck” or HEMTT tractors of the M983A4 type) and some support aircraft mounted on HMMWV (or Humvee). It is therefore clear that for the possible redeployment of a complete battery by air, multiple flights by transport aircraft are necessary; the arrival of just one plane in the Philippines therefore confirms that it is something partial but, as highlighted above, still significant in sending a clear message to Beijing.
THE TYPHON MISSILES
But the real distinctive feature of the Typhon is another: the ability to launch 2 different missiles. The first is the well-known Tomahawk, a weapon in use since the 80s but continuously updated throughout these years; so much so that in the latest versions it is capable of reaching ranges of 2,000 km, while guaranteeing the ability to hit ships (Block Va version) or even heavily protected ground targets (Block Vb).
The second missile used can even be defined as an "anomalous" device, in the sense that it is the Standard Missile-6 or SM-6; in fact, it was born as a surface-to-air weapon intended for air defense and also long-range missile defense for US Navy units, while guaranteeing a secondary surface-to-surface capability. And it is precisely this characteristic that attracted the attention of the US Army, to the point of choosing it to arm the Typhon. To date, it is estimated that the SM-6 (which is a ballistic missile, unlike the Tomahawk which is instead a "cruise" missile; therefore an element which gives further versatility to the Typhon itself) has a range of less than 500 km but is the Block 1B version is in development which should reach 1,000 km and with hypersonic speeds.
THE “MULTI-DOMAIN TASK FORCES”
But the interesting aspects don't end there; the first Typhon batteries that will enter service will in fact all be assigned to the 5 "Multi-Domain Task Forces" (MDTF) that the US Army has created and is creating to respond to the particular challenges posed by the evolution of modern operational scenarios. In fact, as the definition itself says, they will be precisely "Task Forces" to be understood as flexible and agile devices; these, in turn, must then be able to operate from a "Multi-Domain" perspective, i.e. in all current operational domains (land, sea, sky, space and cyber).
And the central hub of these MTDFs (3 of which will be deployed in the Indo-Pacific region) is and will be the "Strategic Fires Battalion". A Battalion that is composed of 3 different batteries: one that will use the "Dark Eagle" hypersonic missiles, one (precisely) Typhon battery and, finally, another equipped with the Himars with the related PrSMs. An therefore impressive firepower, capable of hitting land and naval targets, even deep into enemy territory, with limited reaction and execution times and which will be supported by powerful "Intelligence, Reconnaissance and Surveillance" (ISR) as well as war instruments electronic, cyber and space.
And, again, potentially a real "thorn in China's side"; one of many that the US and its allies in the region are setting up, with the aim of containing Beijing. Seen increasingly by all as a threat to the stability of the Indo-Pacific itself; and maybe even beyond…
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/innovazione/typhon-ecco-il-nuovo-sistema-missilistico-dellesercito-usa/ on Wed, 24 Apr 2024 08:25:29 +0000.