MANILA: The Philippine military today said it plans to acquire the United States Typhon missile system to protect its maritime interests, some of which overlap with regional power China.

The US Army deployed the mid-range missile system in the northern Philippines earlier this year for annual joint military exercises with its longtime ally, and decided to leave it there despite criticism by Beijing that it was destabilising to Asia.

Since then, it has been used by Philippine forces to train for its operation.

"It is planned to be acquired because we see its feasibility and its functionality in our concept of archipelagic defence implementation," Philippine Army chief Lieutenant-General Roy Galido told a news conference.

"I'm happy to report to our fellow countrymen that your army is developing this capability for the interest of protecting our sovereignty," he said, adding the total number to be acquired would depend on "economics".

The presence of the US missile launcher in the northern Philippine had angered Beijing, whose navy and coast guard have engaged in escalating confrontations in recent months with the Philippines over disputed reefs and waters in the South China Sea.

Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea despite an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.

As a rule, it takes at least two or more years for the Philippine military to acquire a new weapons system from the planning stage, Galido said, adding it was not yet budgeted for next year.

It took five years for Manila to take delivery of the BrahMos cruise missile last year, he added.

The land-based "mid-range capability" Typhon missile launcher, developed by US firm Lockheed Martin for the US Army, has a range of 480km, though a longer-range version is in development.

Galido said Typhon would enable the army to "project force" outwards up to 370km, which is the limit of the archipelago nation's maritime entitlements under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun warned in June that the Typhon deployment was "severely damaging regional security and stability." — AFP