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Beijing Warns US After Missile Launcher Reaches 'China's Doorstep'

China expressed "grave concern" on Thursday at the deployment of a U.S. Missile system to the edge of the South China Sea, potentially putting Chinese territory within striking range.

The U.S. Army this month hailed the "historic first" arrival of a medium or mid-range capability launcher in the northern Philippines as part of an ongoing military exercise.

The "Typhon" transporter erector launcher can fire the Standard Missile 6 or Tomahawk Land Attack Missile. The latter is a long-range cruise missile with an operational range of over 1,000 miles, capable of reaching China-controlled territories in the South China Sea as well as military bases along its southern coast.

"China strongly opposes the U.S. Deploying medium-range ballistic missiles in the Asia-Pacific and strengthening forward deployment at China's doorstep to seek unilateral military advantage," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a regular press briefing in Beijing.

"The U.S.'s move exacerbates tensions in the region and increases the risk of misjudgment and miscalculation. We urge the U.S. To earnestly respect other countries' security concerns, stop stoking military confrontation, stop undermining peace and stability in the region, and take concrete actions to reduce strategic risks," Lin said.

The Typhon battery, from the Army's 1st Multi-Domain Task Force out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state, was delivered to northern Luzon—the Philippines island south of Beijing-claimed Taiwan—to be demonstrated at Salaknib, the annual two-week bilateral drills that began on April 8. The Typhon is not expected to be permanently stationed in the Philippines.

Capt. Ryan DeBooy, a spokesperson for the U.S. Army Pacific, said the deployment was "a pivotal aspect of this year's exercise," meant to "enhance Philippine maritime defense capabilities, while bolstering interoperability and readiness within the U.S.-Philippine alliance."

The U.S. Army Pacific and the U.S. Department of Defense did not immediately respond to separate written requests for comment.

A U.S. Army mid-range capability launcher from Charlie Battery, 5th Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, Long Range Fires Battalion, 1st Multi-Domain Task Force out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state, arrives for its first... A U.S. Army mid-range capability launcher from Charlie Battery, 5th Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, Long Range Fires Battalion, 1st Multi-Domain Task Force out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state, arrives for its first deployment in Luzon in northern Philippines on April 7. More Capt. Ryan DeBooy/U.S. Army

The Typhon launcher is also known as the strategic mid-range fires, or SMRF, system, and is part of the Army's project to modernize what it calls long-range precision fires, military ground forces specialist Andrew Feickert wrote in an April 16 report prepared for the Congressional Research Service.

The Typhon is designed to hit targets located between short and long ranges, for which the Army has other weapons.

The Philippines, America's oldest treaty ally in Asia, has been involved in flare-ups with China's coast guard around disputed territories in the South China Sea.

U.S. President Joe Biden hosted Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. At the White House last week for bilateral talks and a first-ever trilateral summit with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan.

Tokyo, which has its own maritime disputes with Beijing elsewhere in the region, backed Manila and pledged closer economic and security coordination led by Washington.

"Facing the complex challenges of our time requires concerted efforts on everyone's part, a dedication to a common purpose, and an unwavering commitment to the rules-based international order," Marcos said.

Next Monday, the U.S. And the Philippines will kick off their largest annual drills, Balikatan, featuring allied forces from Australia and, for the first time in the exercise's history, France, according to the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.

Lin, the Chinese spokesperson, warned the Philippines to "be mindful of what the U.S. Is truly after and the consequence of going along with the U.S."

"The Philippines needs to think twice about being a cat's paw for the U.S. At the expense of its own security interests, and stop sliding down the wrong path," he said.

The Chinese Embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a written request for comment.

A Tomahawk land attack missile is launched aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Curtis Wilbur during a live-fire demonstration as part of exercise Pacific Vanguard on May 27, 2019, in the Philippine Sea. The... A Tomahawk land attack missile is launched aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Curtis Wilbur during a live-fire demonstration as part of exercise Pacific Vanguard on May 27, 2019, in the Philippine Sea. The Typhon system, deployed to the Philippines for the first time in April 2024, is capable of launching Tomahawk cruise missiles. More Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Taylor DiMartino/U.S. Navy

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Pixel Launcher To Get New App Animations & More In Android 15

Google rolled out the Android 15 beta 1 version for Pixel devices a few days ago. The company will unveil the Android 15 update and its complete features at the Google I/O 2024 event in May. Ahead of the launch, Android Authority has learned that Pixel Launcher will get a handful of new features in Android 15. The launcher will offer enhanced app animations, refined launcher recommendations, and improvements to the "recents screen" user interface.

Pixel Launcher will offer accelerated and enhanced app animation

As per the source, Pixel Launcher will offer a revamped animation for swiping up to get back to the home screen. As you can see in the video below, the new animation appears to be faster and more responsive than Android 14. The new animation in Pixel Launcher in the Android 15 version will better highlight the wallpaper zoom effect. It also appears to be more springier than in the Android 14 version.

Categorized widget recommendations are coming in Pixel Launcher in Android 15

Next, the new version of Pixel Launcher in Android 15 will provide improved widget recommendations. Currently, when you proceed to add a new widget, the launcher presents a random widget recommendation at the top. However, it will be changing in Android 15 as the launcher will show a more comprehensive recommendation system. It will suggest widget recommendations categorized by type like Essentials, Social, Entertainment, and more.

Some other categories in the widget recommendations will include News & magazines, Health & Fitness, Your Chill Zone, Suggested for you, and Weather. Another improvement in the widget section will be the addition of a "+ Add" button in Pixel Launcher in Android 15. It will make it easier to add new widgets on the launcher's screen. Currently in the Android 14 version, you have to press and hold and then drag the widget to the screen.

Enhancements to the "recents screen" user interface are also in tow

Furthermore, Google will be offering improvements to the "recents screen" user interface in Android 15. There will be changes to the methods to access the menu where the options to open the app info page, split-screen mode, and pause the app are placed. Currently, you have to tap the app icon in the "recent screen" UI to access these options.

However, it will have a pill on the screen containing the app info page, split-screen mode, and pause app buttons in Android 15. Users can easily miss these shortcuts entirely in Android 14. Notably, these options will be easily discoverable in Pixel Launcher in Android 15.

The source suggests that the aforementioned new features are not available in the Android 15 beta 1 release at the moment. However, they are expected to be available in the stable version that's rolling out later this year.

What Is A Breech-Loaded Grenade Launcher In Destiny 2?

Trying to get Climbing the Mountaintop quest completed but don't know about Breech-Loaded Grenade Launchers? Here's what they are.

April 17, 2024 12:15 AM

Bungie

For the longest time, there were only five Breech-Loaded Grenade Launchers in Destiny 2. But now there are over a dozen competing for your attention. However, unless you know that's what they're called, there's a good chance you won't know what Destiny 2 is asking you to do whenever it refers to Breech-Loaded Grenade Launchers.

A Breech-Loaded Grenade Launcher in Destiny 2 is any Grenade Launcher that sits in the Kinetic or Energy weapon slot that typically only has a single shot in the tube. This type of launcher includes things like Forbearance, Ignition Code, Witherhoard, Explosive Personality, etc. The other type of launcher is a drum, which typically sit in the Power weapon slot.

Source: Shacknews

There's a good chance you need to know what a Breech-Loaded Grenade Launcher is for the quest, Climbing the Mountaintop. This quest was added to Destiny 2 on April 16, 2024 as part of the second week of the Into the Light content drop. By getting defeates with a breech-loaded weapon, players can complete the quest and gain access to The Mountaintop.

The best way to get Breech-Loaded Grenade Launcher kills is to use the Shuro Chi checkpoint in the Last Wish or load up the start of the Grasp of Avarice dungeon. Walk to where all the enemies are spawning and start killing! Remember to equip ammo finder mods to increase how much Special ammo drops.

Breech-Loaded Grenade Launchers have been in Destiny 2 for a while now, and unless you know that's what they're called, it can be easy to wonder what that string of words means. Now that you've got the knowledge, you can get to farming your own version of The Mountaintop. Be sure to check out our Destiny 2 Strategy Guide for more answers to your every question.

Hailing from the land down under, Sam Chandler brings a bit of the southern hemisphere flair to his work. After bouncing round a few universities, securing a bachelor degree, and entering the video game industry, he's found his new family here at Shacknews as a Guides Editor. There's nothing he loves more than crafting a guide that will help someone. If you need help with a guide, or notice something not quite right, you can message him on X: @SamuelChandler 

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