The United States Army conducted a landmark long-range strike drill in the Philippines, launching a Tomahawk cruise missile from Leyte that struck a target near Fort Magsaysay roughly 390 miles away, reports the US Naval Institute. The launch, conducted using the Typhon Mid-Range Capability system on May 5, 2026, marked the first-ever launch of a land-based Tomahawk missile from Philippine territory.

The missile was fired by the Army’s Multi-Domain Task Force, a unit designed to counter advanced Chinese and Russian anti-access defenses. The drill highlights expanding US-Philippine military cooperation and growing American long-range strike capabilities in the Indo-Pacific.

The exercise was part of the Balikatan military drills, which also included deployments of M142 HIMARS launchers and Japanese anti-ship missile tests, reinforcing regional deterrence efforts amid rising tensions with China.