US Army's Europe command fires its first Tomahawk from a Typhon launcher, at a California range
US Army soldiers from Multi-Domain Command - Europe fired their first Tomahawk from the Typhon system, at China Lake in California last month. Business Insider calls it a step toward potentially bringing long-range strike capability to the European theater.
The Board Room · Leadership desk
Lt. Col. Derek Bartlett says he is very comfortable deploying them forward after five weeks of training. The Army has four Typhon batteries; the testing unit operates one. Maj. Gen. Harrington says Typhon has kept a forward presence in the Pacific region for around 30 consecutive months.
| Figure | Value | Note | Claim |
|---|---|---|---|
| Training, then 'comfortable deploying them forward' | 5 weeks | per Lt. Col. Derek Bartlett | 11 |
| Army Typhon batteries | 4 batteries | the testing unit operates one | 6 |
| Typhon forward presence, Pacific, around | 30 months | consecutive, per Maj. Gen. Harrington | 8 |
What happened
- Soldiers of 3rd Battalion, 12th Field Artillery Regiment carried out the firing, and the unit operates one of the Army's four Typhon batteries.
- Troops went through five weeks of training to learn to operate and maintain the system before the test.
- Business Insider counts the shot as the third time Typhon has been fired in the continental United States.
- Maj. Gen. Bernard Harrington told an Association of the United States Army audience that Typhon has kept a forward presence in the Pacific for around 30 consecutive months.
- Also called the Mid-Range Capability, the mobile ground-based system can fire both Tomahawk cruise missiles and Standard Missile-6s.
Why it matters
- Who has to decide decision The Army still has to decide whether, where and when to send the trained battery forward, and neither commander quoted names a destination.
- What it sets up precedent If Europe follows the Pacific pattern of an exercise deployment, then a live shot, then standing presence, this quarter's firing sits at the start of a sequence that has run since 2024 in Asia.
- Who's exposed exposure A European deployment would place the weapon in the theater behind the treaty dispute that led to its development, so Russia's reaction becomes a factor once a deployment is announced.
The shot was fired at China Lake in California, which limits what it shows [4]. Business Insider frames it as a step toward potentially bringing the capability to Europe [1]. The Army's quoted remarks concern readiness. Brig. Gen. Steven Carpenter, who heads Multi-Domain Command - Europe, said: "This live-fire demonstrates our Soldiers' ability to turn a newly fielded system into a credible combat capability that strengthens deterrence and, if required, helps us win." [12] Lt. Col. Derek Bartlett, the battalion commander, said he is now "very comfortable deploying them forward after these five weeks." [11]
The Pacific history is the nearest comparison. Typhon went overseas for the first time in April 2024, to the Philippines during a joint exercise between Manila and Washington [13]. In July 2025, at the Talisman Sabre exercise, the Army fired a Standard Missile-6 from it in the Pacific, and the missile struck and sank a maritime target [14]. Maj. Gen. Bernard Harrington described what the presence there is for. "How do you sustain in the environment? How do you protect those types of systems in the environment? How do you connect sensors to shooters?" he said [15].
Typhon's development followed a treaty change. The 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty prohibited ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges of 500 to 5,000 kilometers [10], and the system was developed after the 2019 US withdrawal over concerns about Russian violations [9]. Bartlett said of the range: "We get that range for that combatant commander to give them options and capabilities where they really haven't had it before from the land force," [17]. In our view the tradeoff is options against exposure. The range Bartlett describes comes with a launcher that has to be sustained and protected forward.
The Pacific deployment drew official objection. In 2024 Lin Jian, a spokesperson for China's foreign ministry, called it "a move to turn back the wheel of history" [16]. We think a comparable diplomatic cost in Europe would attach to a deployment order, and Business Insider's account is of a live fire and a possibility [1].
What to watch
- An Army or Pentagon announcement naming a site and date for a Typhon battery in Europe.
- Further live fires by Multi-Domain Command - Europe, including Standard Missile-6 shots, which would show the unit working beyond the Tomahawk.
- Any official Russian statement on Typhon in Europe, set against China's 2024 objection to the Philippines deployment.
Clarity's read
What the record supports and how the coverage leans. The claims behind it follow.
Reality
- Evidence55
- Adoption30
- Hype gap+15
- Incentives60
- Confidence58
Claim ledger
Ranked by verification strength, evidence, and original report placement.
- [1]
Soldiers from the US Army's Multi-Domain Command in Europe have fired the Typhon missile system for the first time, a step toward potentially bringing a new long-range strike capability to the European theater.
- [2]
The mobile, ground-based Typhon system, also known as the Army's Mid-Range Capability, can fire Tomahawk cruise missiles and Standard Missile-6s.
- [3]
Multi-Domain Command - Europe announced its first live-fire of a Tomahawk Land Attack Missile from the newly fielded Typhon system.
- [4]
The test occurred at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake in California last month.
- [5]
The test was the third time Typhon has been fired in the continental US.
- [6]
Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 12th Field Artillery Regiment, a long-range precision fires unit within Multi-Domain Command - Europe, carried out the testing; the unit operates one of the Army's four Typhon batteries.
- [7]
Troops went through five weeks of training to learn to operate and maintain the Typhon system.
- [8]
Maj. Gen. Bernard Harrington, head of the 7th Infantry Division, Multi-Domain Command - Pacific, told audiences at the Association of the United States Army's exhibition in Washington, DC, that Typhon has maintained a forward presence in the region for around 30 consecutive months.
- [9]
Typhon, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, is intended to fill a gap in the US arsenal; its development followed the 2019 US withdrawal from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty over concerns about Russian violations.
- [10]
The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty prohibited nuclear and conventional ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges of 500 to 5,000 kilometers.
- [11]
"very comfortable deploying them forward after these five weeks."
- [12]
"This live-fire demonstrates our Soldiers' ability to turn a newly fielded system into a credible combat capability that strengthens deterrence and, if required, helps us win."
- [13]
Typhon was first deployed overseas in April 2024 in the Philippines amid a joint exercise between Manila and Washington.
- [14]
In July 2025, during the Talisman Sabre exercise, the US Army fired the Typhon system for the first time west of the international date line in the Pacific, launching a Standard Missile-6 toward a maritime target; the missile struck and sank the target.
- [15]
"How do you sustain in the environment? How do you protect those types of systems in the environment? How do you connect sensors to shooters?"
- [16]
"a move to turn back the wheel of history"
- [17]
"We get that range for that combatant commander to give them options and capabilities where they really haven't had it before from the land force,"
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