Artillery: A Thousand Typhon Missiles and Why

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September 9, 2026: The U.S. Typhon SMRF Strategic Mid-range Fires System launches SM-6 air defense missiles and Tomahawk land-attack missiles. The system is mounted on a HEMTT tractor-trailer hauling four containers, each containing four VLS (Vertical Launch System) cells that can be hydraulically elevated to a vertical firing position to launch Tomahawk Cruise missiles, Navy SM-6 anti-aircraft and anti-missile missiles, or low-flying satellite missiles.

The first live-fire tests were conducted in 2023, and in 2025 a Typhon missile sank a target vessel. An SMRF battery consists of four launcher vehicles and a battery operations center vehicle that controls over a dozen supply and support vehicles.

In 2024, the first SMRF battery was flown to the Philippines for field testing. The Filipinos were impressed and wanted fifty batteries of various missile types. These will protect Filipino land bases and operations against Chinese encroachment in the South China Sea. Because of this activity, Germany and Ukraine have expressed interest in Typhon.