The South China Morning Post quoted General Charles Flynn, commander of the US Army Pacific, as revealing that Washington is preparing to deploy a new medium-range missile launch system to the Asia-Pacific region before the end of 2024.

Analysts say Washington’s move is aimed at addressing threats from North Korea and China.

According to observers, the medium-range missile system that the US is deploying to the Asian region could be the Typhoon.

Washington’s deployment of a new intermediate-range missile system to the Asia-Pacific region may be just part of a testing process for the missile, an analyst told the South China Morning Post .

The first prototype of the Typhoon missile system was delivered to the US military in November 2022.

“There is very little data on the Typhoon missile system and I myself hope this is just part of the development process of a new missile, to see how this missile works,” commented Mr. Garren Mulloy, professor of international relations at Daito Bunka University (Japan).

“New missile systems typically perform quite well in test ranges in the deserts of the United States, but they are not affected by the maritime, high-humidity climate of the Asia-Pacific region,” Mulloy added.

According to this professor, the US military may want to test how the new medium-range missile system works in different climate conditions. After that, the US military will begin training units to operate these systems.

According to Mr. Mulloy, as to the reason for the US deploying the new missile system to the Asia-Pacific region, Washington could cite North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s threat to attack US military facilities on Guam , as well as the belligerent statements that Pyongyang sent to Tokyo.

However, Professor Mulloy also analyzed that North Korea is not the main reason why the US has to bring new missile systems to the Pacific.

“In fact, there is a much more complex threat, both military and economic, to Washington, and that is China,” Mr. Mulloy commented.

A few months earlier, speaking at the Halifax International Security Forum, General Flynn revealed that two batteries of the Typhoon missile system had been prepared.

“We plan to deploy that missile system in the region by 2024,” Mr. Flynn said.

Meanwhile, a US government source confirmed to the Asahi newspaper (Japan) that the medium-range missile system to be deployed is the Typhoon. 

The Typhoon batteries will initially be deployed to Guam, then to Japan for military training.