The US destroys a target in Luzon with a missile fired in the Visayas during an exercise
The United States Army destroyed a target inside a Philippine Army base in Nueva Ecija with a Tomahawk missile fired from Leyte during a military exercise, a Marine colonel said.
File photo of Typhon mid-range capability launcher deployed in Northern Luzon last April 2024. Photo by US Army Capt. Ryan DeBooy
Joe M. Reyes | May 6, 2026
MANILA —The United States Army destroyed a target inside a Philippine Army base in Nueva Ecija with a Tomahawk missile fired from Leyte during a military exercise, a Marine colonel said.
Colonel Dennis Hernandez, a spokesman for the Balikatan, said it was the first time the Americans had test-fired their medium-range capability (MRC) Typhon missile since April 2024, when it was brought to the Philippines.
“It’s a precision-guided munition, so it hit the impact area in Laur early morning,” Hernandez said.
“It’s the first time. That’s only a single activity, a one-day activity. It’s the first for this iteration.”
Hernandez said a Tomahawk missile was fired from a Typhon launcher, hitting an “impact area” at Fort Magsaysay in Laur, Nueva Ecija at around 1 AM. (Also read: What’s the reason behind US expansion of military engagements in the Philippines?)
The Americans were demonstrating its capability to hit targets thousands of kilometers away in a rare “land-based scenario.”
“There is a notional activity, a land-based activity and then the MRC is in support of that ground activity, ground attack,” he said.
Only one Tomahawk missile was fired during the activity.
Hernandez said Typhon missile system won’t see action in the maritime strike, one of the major training activities under Balikatan, that will be held in Ilocos Norte. (Also read: Learning to fight future wars in Balikatan drills)
The maritime strike will be witnessed by visiting Japanese defense minister Shinjirō Koizumi and Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr, said Hernandez.
Hernandez said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr will watch the maritime strike from the AFP’s general headquarters at Camp Aguinaldo.
A decommissioned Navy ship will be prepositioned about 40 kilometers away from the shoreline of Laoag City. It will be targeted and sunk by ground and air assets from the US, the Philippines, Japan, and Canada.
He said the Americans will be firing their Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System, adding that Japan will fire its Type 88 missile, while Canada will fire its 57-millimeter Bofor gun.
Hernandez said the US and Philippine aircraft will then hit the vessel.
“There will be safety checks before the firing of the munition, armaments in sequence. It’s a sequential event,” Hernandez said.