Within the operational framework of the bilateral Talisman Sabre 2025 exercises held in Australia, the U.S. Army carried out a new launch of its SM-6 missiles from one of its Typhon systems, successfully sinking a maritime target as part of the scheduled activities. In particular, the launch in question was conducted by personnel from the 3rd Multi-Domain Task Force (MDTF), which forms part of the maritime and strategic strike capabilities the institution maintains to support its presence in the Indo-Pacific.
Expanding on some details, this specific launch served as an opportunity to validate deployment capabilities and procedures for its Long-Range Precision Fires (LRPF), as well as to certify the 3rd MDTF in command and control (C2) tasks for maritime strike operations from land-based positions. In addition to these aspects, as with the rest of the activity, the event was highly useful in strengthening interoperability with the Australian Army, one of the Pentagon’s key allies in the region.
Among the official statements issued on the matter, those made by Colonel Wade Germann, who currently serves as commander of the 3rd MDTF, stand out: “The deployment of the MRC and the successful execution of a live fire of an SM-6 against a maritime target is another significant step forward in our ability to deploy, integrate, command, and control advanced land-based maritime strike capabilities. This exercise validated our interoperability in target selection and C2 with our partner unit, the 10th Australian Brigade, through the Land Effects Coordination Cell. We have laid the foundation to develop and deploy multi-domain capabilities with combat credibility in support of the Combined and Joint Force.”
On another note, it is worth mentioning that the launch of an SM-6 missile from a U.S. Army Typhon system comes virtually at the same time that Germany expressed its interest in acquiring the latter as part of its military capability modernization plan. As we reported yesterday, the news was confirmed by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius during a press conference following his visit with his U.S. counterpart, Pete Hegseth. With the same intention of strengthening its deterrence capabilities, the Philippines had also previously expressed interest in a possible purchase of this type of launcher, focusing on the growing Chinese naval activity in the Indo-Pacific.
Cover image: U.S. Army Pacific Public Affairs Office – Sgt. Perla Alfaro
You may also like: Germany seeks to advance negotiations with the U.S. for the purchase of the new Typhon missile launch system
