'Typhoon missile system can defend Phl maritime interests'

The US Typhoon mid-range missile system provides the capability to help defend the Philippines' maritime interests, according to Washington's top diplomat in the country.

- By PIA LEE-BRAGO

Ambassador MaryKay Carlson stated that the US is working with Philippine authorities in accordance with the Philippines' Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept, which is "a very important way of assessing or visualizing the archipelagic nation."

"It's about defending your interests in your territorial seas, certainly, but also in your exclusive economic zone (EEZ)," Carlson said during her visit to The STAR office in Parañaque last Thursday.

"We're working together hand in hand, day in, day out on what we can do together to defend our mutual interests in this region," she added.

The US Army deployed the mid-range missile system in the northern Philippines last year for the Balikatan, the annual joint military exercises with its longtime ally.

It has been used by Philippine armed forces to train for their operations.

"We'll be using it for training, and it's a system that we think is useful for our troops to have the capability to use. It's so important to understand that there are exercises and we have 500-plus different types of exercises or engagements, military to military," Carlson said.