Breaking News: U.S. Army demonstrates first operational use of new Typhon land missile system in Australia.

According to a statement published by the U.S. Department of Defense on July 16, 2025, the U.S. Army’s 3rd Multi-Domain Task Force (3MDTF) has successfully executed the first-ever live fire of its new Mid-Range Capability (MRC) mobile land attack missile system outside the continental United States. Conducted in the Northern Territory, Australia, during Exercise Talisman Sabre 25, this milestone event culminated in the ground-launched firing of a Standard Missile-6 (SM-6), which struck and sank a designated maritime target. The successful live-fire confirmed the operational viability of land-based, precision maritime strike capabilities and marked a historic demonstration of combined targeting and joint command-and-control interoperability between U.S. and Australian forces.
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U.S. Army 3rd Multi-Domain Task Force conducts first Mid-Range Capability live fire outside continental United States sinking a maritime target with a ground-launched Standard Missile-6 during Exercise Talisman Sabre 25 on July 16, 2025. (Picture source: U.S. DoD)

Known officially as the Mid-Range Capability (MRC) and designated as the Typhon Weapon System in the U.S. Army, this ground-based launcher integrates both SM-6 and Tomahawk cruise missiles. Developed by Lockheed Martin as part of the Army’s Long Range Precision Fires modernization priority, the Typhon system is intended to fill the operational gap between the shorter-range Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) and the long-range hypersonic missile systems. It provides a scalable and rapidly deployable launcher platform that extends the Army’s strike reach out to approximately 500 to 1,800 kilometers, depending on the selected munition. In this instance, the focus was on maritime interdiction using the SM-6, which demonstrated the Typhon system’s versatility in engaging both land and naval targets.

The Standard Missile-6 (SM-6), manufactured by Raytheon, is typically ship-launched from the U.S. Navy’s Aegis-equipped vessels. It is a dual-capability missile capable of performing both anti-air and anti-surface warfare missions. With a maximum range exceeding 370 kilometers, the SM-6 can engage cruise missiles, aircraft, ballistic missiles in the terminal phase, and surface ships. Its seeker combines active radar homing with semi-active radar guidance, allowing it to operate in a complex electronic warfare environment. The variant used in the MRC system has been adapted for ground launch, showcasing the growing convergence of land and maritime firepower within the U.S. joint force architecture.

By integrating the SM-6 missile into a mobile, ground-launched system, the U.S. Army and its allies gain significant strategic flexibility. This configuration allows forces to deploy high-speed, networked missile systems into theater without relying on naval platforms, making it ideal for dispersed operations across the Indo-Pacific region’s archipelagic terrain. Compared to systems like the Navy’s Vertical Launch System (VLS), Typhon offers land forces the same type of multi-mission missile without being tied to a ship, while being capable of forward deployment from austere locations.

For the U.S. Army, fielding the Mid-Range Capability in the Indo-Pacific is of critical importance. The region is defined by vast maritime distances, contested chokepoints, and a growing presence of rival naval power, particularly from China. Having a land-based system like Typhon enables the U.S. Army to contribute to sea control and denial missions in coordination with Navy and Air Force assets. It transforms traditionally land-focused units into active participants in the maritime kill chain, increasing the resilience and lethality of joint operations. In potential conflict scenarios, MRC units can be rapidly repositioned to counter enemy naval movements, protect friendly sea lanes, and complicate adversary targeting decisions by dispersing high-value assets across land-based nodes.

The strategic relevance of the system has not gone unnoticed. Germany has publicly expressed interest in acquiring the Typhon missile system as part of its ongoing efforts to modernize its long-range precision fires and bolster NATO’s collective deterrence posture. For European allies, Typhon offers a highly flexible platform capable of engaging targets across multiple domains, adding a new layer of capability that supports integrated deterrence and enhances the survivability of long-range strike forces within contested theaters.

Exercise Talisman Sabre 25 provides a strategic platform to showcase this next-generation capability. The integration with the Australian Army’s 10th Brigade further underscores the increasing interoperability between allied land forces and highlights a joint commitment to regional security. The live-fire event not only validated targeting procedures and command integration but also sent a clear deterrent message, reinforcing that both the U.S. and Australia are prepared to deploy layered, precision strike systems that can deny access and control across maritime corridors from land.

As adversarial powers in the Indo-Pacific expand their naval presence, the MRC Typhon land-attack missile system, equipped with the SM-6 missile, offers a significant shift in deterrence posture. The successful strike in Australia is more than a technical validation. It is a strategic signal that land-based forces are now fully integrated into the maritime kill chain, reshaping the battlefield calculus in one of the world’s most contested regions.