Key Points and Summary – The U.S. Army has successfully test-fired its new Mid-Range Capability (MRC) Typhoon missile system for the first time in Australia, sinking a maritime target.
-The land-based system, capable of firing Tomahawk and SM-6 missiles, was developed after the U.S. left the INF treaty and is designed to counter China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific.
-The test has drawn furious condemnation from Beijing, which calls the weapon “strategic and offensive.”
-U.S. officials note the hypocrisy, as China already possesses an extensive arsenal of similar missiles, suggesting Beijing is simply “miffed” that U.S. allies can now “shoot back.”
The U.S. Just Test-Fired a New Missile in China’s Backyard. Beijing Is Furious.
During the Talisman Sabre joint exercise in northern Australia, the U.S. Army fired its new Mid-Range Capability (MRC) Typhoon missile system. This is the first time the system has been tested west of the International Date Line.
On July 22, the Army’s 3rd Multi-Domain Task Force (MDTF) stated that it had fired a Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) from the MRC’s multi-use launcher, sinking a maritime target (surely simulating a warship) barge in the process.
“The deployment of the MRC and successful execution of a [Standard Missile-6] live fire against a maritime target is another significant step forward in our ability to deploy, integrate, and command and control advanced land-based maritime strike capabilities,” Col. Wade Germann, commander of the 3rd MDTF, said.
The Army says it conducted the test this week because the MRC is an essential strike asset that addresses a critical capability gap for this region. The MRC is also a priority system for the Army.
The MRC eliminates a range deficiency the force previously suffered, by providing a platform that can fire both the SM-6 and the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile.
While this was the first live test of the MRC in this region of the Pacific, it had already been deployed in the Indo-Pacific theater before, specifically during a joint exercise with the Philippines last year.
Typhoon Missile: A Work in Progress
The Army has characterized the MRC as a “work in progress.” The service is still experimenting with how best to employ the system.
Some of that trial-and-error activity could be seen during the previous deployment in the Philippines. Officially, the MRC is a system that adapts existing U.S. Navy technologies – including missiles and a vertical launcher designed for use onboard naval vessels – and then employs them for use in ground operations.
But this kind of adaptation does not happen overnight. It requires extensive validation in the field and continual adjustments to perfect the lessons learned from that adaptation.
This was visible during the Philippines deployment, as, during operational testing, the Army personnel putting the system through its paces were constantly modifying and reworking the system in the field. This is according to a Government Accountability Office report earlier this year, which stated that the user input acquired in this effort led to “multiple design changes” of the MRC.
The report itself states that the acquisition process for the MRC “resembled a rapid prototyping effort with plans to demonstrate the capability while also creating a residual or limited operational capability at the conclusion of the effort.”
China’s Reaction
The MRC was developed after the U.S. withdrawal in 2019 from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. The U.S. withdrawal was no surprise and was prompted by rising evidence Russia was violating the treaty’s restrictions. The original treaty had banned nuclear and conventional ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges of 500 to 5,000 kilometers.
The U.S. withdrew from the treaty during the first Trump administration after the Russian deployment early that year of the Novator SSC-8/9M729 missile. The U.S. exit from the agreement made the development of previously banned weapons such as the MRC possible.
When the MRC was deployed to the Philippines, China quickly telegraphed its dislike of the development. In September 2024, Lin Jian, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, called the deployment “a move to turn back the wheel of history.”
Beijing has also said the Philippines, a key U.S. ally, is serving American interests to the detriment of its own by hosting the MRC tests on their territory. Not surprisingly, Manila has expressed interest in the MRC’s capabilities as a useful combat capability they would consider acquiring from the U.S.
When asked about the test this week in Australia, the Chinese Embassy in Washington condemned the MRC as a “strategic and offensive” weapon and stated, “China firmly opposes the U.S.’ deployment of the land-based Mid-Range Capability missile system in the Asia-Pacific, whatever its form.”
China had already conveyed its displeasure last year. In August 2024, Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo said that his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, had expressed concerns the weapon could destabilize the security and relations of the region.
When they discussed the matter in person, as Manalo described it, Wang “made it very dramatic.” Beijing also warned Manila against igniting an arms race.
For those who have not seen Wang at international forums, “dramatic” is a mild description of how he expresses displeasure. He typically exercises all the restraint of a three-year-old in the middle of a temper tantrum.
In his earlier statement, Lin, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman, added that the MRC “gravely threatens regional countries’ security, incites geopolitical confrontation, and has aroused high vigilance and concerns of countries in the region.”
Of course, China itself already maintains an extensive arsenal of ballistic missiles in the region. These systems span a range of intermediate categories. Thus, they can threaten U.S. and allied forces in the area from multiple launch sites.
“Beijing sees nothing wrong with the overkill of missile assets they have in the region,” said a former U.S. naval intelligence officer with extensive knowledge of the Indo-Pacific theater. “They are just miffed about the MRC because someday the U.S., the Philippines, and the others might actually be able to shoot back at them from long ranges.”
About the Author: Reuben F. Johnson
Reuben F. Johnson has thirty-six years of experience analyzing and reporting on foreign weapons systems, defense technologies, and international arms export policy. Johnson is the Director of Research at the Casimir Pulaski Foundation. He is also a survivor of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. He worked for years in the American defense industry as a foreign technology analyst and later as a consultant for the U.S. Department of Defense, the Departments of the Navy and Air Force, and the governments of the United Kingdom and Australia. In 2022-2023, he won two awards in a row for his defense reporting. He holds a bachelor’s degree from DePauw University and a master’s degree from Miami University in Ohio, specializing in Soviet and Russian studies. He lives in Warsaw.
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