A Japanese destroyer has acquired the ability to launch U.S.-made Tomahawk cruise missiles, the commander of the Maritime Self-Defense Force's fleet escort unit said. The Aegis-equipped Chokai completed refitting at a U.S. naval base in San Diego, California. It marks a milestone in Tokyo's efforts to bolster counterstrike capabilities amid regional threats.
A Japanese destroyer has acquired the capability to launch U.S.-made Tomahawk cruise missiles, according to the commander of the Maritime Self-Defense Force's fleet escort unit. The Aegis-equipped Chokai completed refitting at a U.S. naval base in San Diego, California, marking a milestone in Tokyo's push to strengthen counterstrike capabilities amid military buildups by China and North Korea.
The MSDF plans a live-fire test of the Tomahawk off San Diego's coast by August. At a ceremony marking the refit's completion, Vice Adm. Yoshihiro Goka of the MSDF fleet escort unit said the missile launch capability is "extremely important for enhancing the overall deterrence and response capabilities of the Japan-U.S. alliance." Vice Adm. John Wade, commander of U.S. Third Fleet, also attended.
The upgrade enables Japan to strike enemy missile bases as a self-defense measure, as formally endorsed in the country's revised national security strategy in 2022.
In Tokyo, Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi told reporters on Friday that the destroyer's new capability is "highly significant in reducing the likelihood of armed attacks against Japan." Koizumi added that Japan's counterstrike capabilities "remain the minimum necessary for self-defense and will only be used in the event of an armed attack from another country, and they do not pose a threat to other nations."
Homeported at the MSDF base in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, the Chokai was dispatched to the United States last year and is expected to return to Japan around September. The missiles have a range of 1,600 kilometers, putting targets deep inside China and North Korea within reach.
