New U.S. missile capabilities are being deployed to deter China

The United States is planning to deploy intermediate-range missiles to the Pacific region according to the commander of the U.S. Army Forces Pacific. But what will the missiles be used for and why does it matter?

On November 19th, Defense One reported the Commander of U.S. Army Forces Pacific General Charles Flynn told reporters at the Halifax Security Conference that the United States was planning a new missile deployment in the Pacific.

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Sgt. James Harvey, U.S. Army

The deployment would see a limited number of land-based Tomahawk and SM-6 missiles sent to the Pacific region as the United States’ larger effort to deter China from invading Taiwan according to General Fynn. 

“We have tested them and we have a battery or two of them today,” General Flynn said, adding that the missile systems were intended to be deployed in 2024, though he would not divulge any other location specifics. 

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Leah Stiles

“We intend to deploy that system in your region,” the Commander of U.S. Army Forces Pacific explained to reporters in Halifax. “I'm not going to say where and when. But I will just say that we will deploy them.”

Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Darrell Ames

The Tomahawk Land Attack Missile is just what it sounds like, a cruise missile that can attack land-based targets. However, it is a weapon that was primarily used by the Navy according to the U.S. Navy’s website. 

Similarly, the SM-6 is a weapon currently being produced for the U.S. Navy. However, it provides anti-air warfare support for ships in combat and can be used for an unmanned aircraft attack or as a cruise missile according to Raytheon, its manufacturer. 

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By U.S. Navy photo

The U.S. The Army has been working on developing a way to turn these two power missiles, and other weapons like them, into land-based weapons that can be used to defend against new and future threats to the American military. 

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By U.S. Navy photo

In August, the U.S. The Army reported the first successful test-firing of its new land-based Mid-Range Capability (MRC) prototype at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington by soldiers from the 1st Doman Task Force and Navy sailors. 

PHoto Credit: Wiki Commons By United States Air Force

“From the start of the [Mid-Range Capability] program, Soldiers and Sailors have collaborated to provide the Army with this important capability,” wrote the Army's Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. 

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Lance Cpl. Ronald Stauffer

“Soldiers have consistently participated in each phase of the development, training, and testing of the MRC and continue to provide useful feedback.” The Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office statement continued. 

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Sgt. Isabelle Dickey-Kappenman

The MRC missile launcher, is also known as the Typhon according to Breaking Defense, and it is this system, along with another weapons platform designed for the SM-6, that will be deployed to the Pacific in 2024. 

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Hpeterswald

Defense One explained that getting the Typhon deployed to the Pacific region was a major milestone for the Army but added that it was only one of three critical weapons systems that General Flynn was hoping to have operational soon. 

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Staff Sgt. Jennifer A. Delaney

The Typhon system would be followed by the Army’s Precision Strike Missile (PrSM), which its manufacturer Lockheed Martin noted hit targets +499 kilometers (300+ miles) away and can be launched from High Mobility Rocket Artillery Systems (HIMARS).

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Staff Sgt. Ricardo Hernandez-Arocho

“We shoot HIMARS in a number of these countries today,” General Flynn told reporters in Halifax. “This is just a different missile to put into it. So I don't necessarily think we need to have an agreement ahead of time.”

Photo Credit Wiki Commons By Staff Sgt. Matthew Ryan

The final missile type that will eventually be deployed to the Pacific is the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) according to Breaking Defense. The LRHW has a range of 2,776- kilometers (1754 miles) but won’t be operational until sometime in 2024. 

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons / Public Domain, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=73445813