By JESSE JOHNSON – STAFF WRITER
The Maritime Self-Defense Force’s Aegis destroyer Chokai has become Japan’s first vessel capable of carrying and firing U.S.-made Tomahawk missiles, a development that could put targets deep inside China and North Korea within striking distance.
The Defense Ministry’s Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA) announced Friday that the ship had “successfully completed” modifications in the United States that will allow it to fire the long-range “standoff” missiles.
Speaking at a news conference Friday following the announcement, Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said the new capability would be “of great significance for reducing the possibility of an armed attack on Japan itself.”
“Standoff defense capabilities serve to make any adversary attempting to attack Japan — regardless of the region targeted — clearly understand that an attack by naval vessels, amphibious forces or other means will be decisively thwarted,” Koizumi said.
The Chokai must still undergo launch tests and other procedures — including crew training — to confirm its mission readiness.
The Chokai is scheduled to undergo live-fire testing in the U.S. by the summer of this year and return to Japan around September, when it will reenter service, according to defense officials.
Tomahawks — which are being used in the attacks on Iran by the U.S. and Israel — have a range of roughly 1,600 kilometers, according to the U.S. Navy. Japan agreed to purchase a total of 400 Tomahawk missiles in January 2024.
The MSDF will eventually equip all eight of its Aegis destroyers with Tomahawks, which are expected to easily integrate into the guided-missile destroyers via their U.S.-designed Mk-41 vertical launch system cells.
The move is part of Tokyo’s effort to build up “counterstrike capabilities” that enable it to strike bases and command-and-control nodes from beyond the range of enemy defenses, as Japan seeks to deter and, if necessary, respond to attacks with standoff missiles.
Koizumi cited the missile arsenals of Japan’s neighbors, which he said have been “significantly strengthened in both quality and quantity” in recent years, as a key reason for introducing the new capability.
“While our missile defense network intercepts incoming missiles, we must also possess the capability to launch effective counterattacks against an aggressor — that is, a counterattack capability — to deter further armed attacks,” he said.
Koizumi said earlier this month that deliveries of the Tomahawks to the SDF had already begun.
The ministry aims to eventually replace the Tomahawks with domestically produced extended-range Type-12 missiles, which will have a similar range.
The new capabilities have also raised questions about the future of the country’s defense-oriented posture — fears Koizumi sought to allay on Friday.
“It remains the case that the defense capabilities possessed by Japan, including standoff missiles, are the minimum necessary for self-defense, to be exercised only in the event of an armed attack by an opponent,” he said. “They do not pose a threat to other countries.”
Original source: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/03/27/japan/japan-chokai-msdf-tomahawk-missiles/