U.S. Army Europe Conducts First Tomahawk Missile Live-Fire From Newly Fielded Typhon Ground Launcher.

The U.S. Army’s 3rd Battalion, 12th Field Artillery Regiment, has conducted its first live firing of a Tomahawk Land Attack Missile using its newly fielded Typhon Mid-Range Capability missile system. The successful launch demonstrates the Europe-assigned unit’s ability to operate ground-launched precision-strike weapons that can reach targets more than 1,600 km away, strengthening the Army’s long-range conventional strike capabilities in support of NATO operations.

The U.S. Army’s 3rd Battalion, 12th Field Artillery Regiment, assigned to Multi-Domain Command–Europe, conducts its first live firing of a Tomahawk land-attack cruise missile using the newly fielded Typhon Mid-Range Capability missile system at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California, on September 28, 2026. (Picture source: U.S. Army)

The firing marks a major step in bringing the battalion’s Typhon missile system into service under U.S. Army Multi-Domain Command–Europe. It gives the unit a long-range strike capability that could let American ground commanders engage distant command centers, logistics facilities, and other high-value military targets without relying solely on combat aircraft or warships.

The milestone is particularly significant because a U.S. Army battery assigned to the European theater fired it, rather than the Indo-Pacific formations involved in earlier Typhon demonstrations. The development expands the Army’s ability to generate long-range precision fires from mobile ground launchers and supports efforts to strengthen conventional deterrence and joint strike operations alongside NATO allies.

According to a recent U.S. Army Multi-Domain Command–Europe announcement, the Army fired the system at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake in California after five weeks of training with U.S. Navy personnel and Raytheon representatives. Soldiers from the Mid-Range Capability Battery of the 3rd Battalion, 12th Field Artillery Regiment operated the newly fielded Typhon system during the exercise, demonstrating their ability to execute a live Tomahawk launch.

The Army said the live-fire event took place on September 28, 2026, and that it publicly announced the results on October 15. It identified the exercise as the third Typhon firing conducted within the continental United States, confirming that this was not the missile system’s first Tomahawk launch. Its significance lies in the participation of the Europe-assigned battery, which demonstrated live-fire proficiency with a weapon system intended to expand the Army’s long-range conventional strike options.

Lieutenant Colonel Derek Bartlett, commander of the 3rd Battalion, 12th Field Artillery Regiment, expressed confidence in the battery’s ability to deploy forward following the training and live-fire exercise. The event let soldiers apply launch procedures and technical knowledge gained during training, though the Army did not announce a specific European deployment date or destination.

The Typhon Mid-Range Capability system is a mobile, ground-based missile weapon developed to provide the U.S. Army with precision-strike capabilities beyond the reach of traditional artillery and shorter-range tactical missiles. It employs two established U.S. Navy weapons: the BGM-109 Tomahawk land-attack cruise missile and the Standard Missile-6 (SM-6), providing different engagement options against land and maritime targets.

A standard Typhon battery configuration includes four trailer-mounted launchers, a Battery Operations Center, prime movers, and supporting equipment. Each launcher uses a modified vertical-launch arrangement derived from the U.S. Navy’s Mk 41 Vertical Launching System, allowing the Army to use existing naval missiles from transportable, ground-based launch equipment.

This configuration lets commanders reposition launchers between operating areas rather than rely on fixed missile installations. Mobility can improve survivability and complicate enemy targeting, but effectiveness in contested environments depends on concealment, secure communications, air-defense protection, and the ability to relocate before adversary forces can respond.

The Tomahawk Land Attack Missile is a long-range, subsonic cruise missile designed to strike land targets using precision navigation and guidance systems. Depending on the variant, its range exceeds 1,600 kilometers, enabling strikes against command-and-control facilities, air defense installations, logistics centers, and other important military infrastructure far beyond conventional artillery range.

The missile can fly at low altitude along programmed routes, using terrain to complicate detection by some radar systems. Its extended reach gives ground commanders more options for engaging distant targets, though mission success depends on accurate intelligence, targeting information, and coordination with the broader joint force.

Typhon can also launch the SM-6, a missile originally developed for U.S. Navy air and missile defense missions that also offers capabilities against surface targets, including maritime threats. Combining Tomahawk and SM-6 gives the U.S. Army complementary strike options within a common launch system, although the China Lake exercise specifically demonstrated Tomahawk employment.

The development of Typhon follows the termination of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in 2019, which had prohibited U.S. and Russian ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometers. The treaty's end allowed the United States to develop conventional land-based missile systems capable of operating within those ranges.

In the European theater, introducing ground-launched Tomahawk missiles could significantly expand the geographic reach of U.S. Army conventional fires. Depending on deployment location and political authorization, a Typhon battery could hold important military targets at risk over considerable distances while operating from positions integrated into allied defensive arrangements.

This capability would complement NATO’s existing air- and sea-launched precision-strike weapons by adding mobile ground launchers to the alliance’s conventional strike options. Distributing long-range weapons among Army units, aircraft, and warships could complicate adversary planning by increasing the number of potential launch locations that would need to be monitored or targeted during a conflict.

Deploying Typhon in Europe would nevertheless require integration with NATO targeting networks, secure command-and-control systems, and allied operational planning. Host-nation arrangements, missile resupply, and protection against surveillance and counterstrikes would also influence how effectively the battery could operate during sustained military operations.

The China Lake exercise highlights the importance of cooperation between the U.S. Army, Navy, and defense industry in introducing Typhon into service. By adapting Tomahawk missiles and naval-derived launch technology, the Army has accelerated the development of a new ground-based long-range strike capability without requiring an entirely new cruise missile.

The successful launch confirms that soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, 12th Field Artillery Regiment can fire a Tomahawk missile under controlled test conditions. However, the exercise does not show that the battery has met all operational readiness requirements or that Typhon has already deployed to Europe. Further training, deployment exercises, and integration with joint targeting networks will help determine its readiness for sustained operations.

From a strategic perspective, the milestone strengthens the U.S. Army’s potential contribution to NATO’s long-range conventional strike posture. Mobile, ground-launched Tomahawk missiles could give commanders additional options for engaging military targets deep inside contested areas while reducing dependence on any single service for long-range precision attacks.

The 3rd Battalion, 12th Field Artillery Regiment's first Tomahawk live firing represents a concrete step toward establishing an additional U.S. Army long-range strike capability focused on European operations. By preparing a Europe-assigned artillery formation to employ the Typhon missile system, the United States is expanding its potential for forward-deployed precision fires, reinforcing NATO deterrence, and increasing the operational flexibility of American ground forces across the European theater.

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Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.