Typhon Missile System

History

Typhon, also designated the Strategic Mid-range Fires System (SMRF), was developed by the United States Army as part of its Long Range Precision Fires program. Formerly known as the Midrange Capabilities System (MCS), it was renamed and given the Typhon designation. In 2023, the Army successfully launched a Standard Missile-6 from a Typhon launcher, followed by the first Tomahawk launch on 27 June 2023 from a Typhon assigned to 1st Multi-Domain Task Force. The Army originally planned to field the first battery in Q4 FY2023 with three additional batteries the following year. A second battery, designated D Battery, 5th Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, was activated in January 2024 under 1st MDTF. The FY2025 budget allocated $183 million for research, development, test, and evaluation and $233 million for procurement.

Specifications

Typhon is a land-based, ground-launched system designed to fill the range gap between the Precision Strike Missile and the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon. A standard battery consists of four launchers, a battery operations centre, a High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle support vehicle, and a reload capability. Each launcher is derived from the Mark 41 Vertical Launching System and contains four strike-length cells mounted in the footprint of a 40-foot (12 m) ISO container. Each launcher holds up to four missiles, giving the battery a total capacity of 16 missiles before reload. The launchers and BOC trailer are each towed by 8×8 tractors from the Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck family. The system employs Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles and Standard Missile-6.

Operational History

In April 2024, the Army operationally deployed Typhon batteries from 1st MDTF to the Philippines for the Salaknib 2024 joint exercises, marking the system's first overseas deployment. The system was deployed at the request of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine government, and maintained forward presence for over 30 consecutive months as of October 2026. On 5 May, the Army fired a Tomahawk for the first time from Typhon MRC in the Philippines during Exercise Balikatan. During Exercise Talisman Sabre 25 in Australia's Northern Territory, Typhon successfully sank a maritime target using an SM-6 missile on 15 July 2025. On 12 October 2026, Major General Bernard J Harrington, commanding general of 7th Infantry Division / Multi-Domain Command – Pacific, briefed at the Association of the United States Army conference on lessons learned from the deployment, including sustaining the system, protecting it, and connecting sensors and shooters. The Army has expressed interest in scaling down the system to improve deployability.

On 10 July 2024, a joint US–German statement announced episodic deployments of long-range fires including Typhon in Germany beginning in 2026. In September 2024, Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth discussed a Multi-Domain Task Force deployment to Japan that includes Typhon. On 23 December 2024, the Philippine Military announced plans to acquire the system, and on 15 July 2025, the German Minister of Defense announced that Germany had submitted a purchase request. On 28 August 2025, the U.S. Marine Corps announced it would conduct Typhon operational training without missile launches at Iwakuni Air Station in Japan.