The Tomahawk missile, a cornerstone of U.S. precision strike capabilities, is now entering Japanese service, with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s Kongo-class destroyer JS Chokai becoming the first warship armed to fire the deadly cruise missile.
The Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA) of the Japanese Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced that the ship has completed upgrades that will allow it to fire long-range “standoff” missiles.
Further, it stated that the JMSDF will proceed with plans to conduct live-fire tests of the Tomahawk missile from Chokai later this year to verify this capability once the integration and training phase is complete.
Notably, the Tomahawk missiles will be launched from the ship’s existing Mk-41 Vertical Launch System (VLS) cells, and no major changes to the hull were made, according to reports. With this, however, Chokai retains its full Aegis air or missile-defence role while adding offensive strike capacity.
Tomahawks will be mounted on all eight of Japan’s Aegis destroyers, including two Kongo-class, two Atago-class, two Maya-class, and two additional destroyers scheduled for service in 2027 and 2028. In line with this plan, the MoD plans to gradually refurbish all eight Aegis destroyers that are stationed at the MSDF’s bases in Sasebo, Kanagawa Prefecture, and Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, as previously noted by the EurAsian Times.
Speaking at a news conference, Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi stated that the new capability would be “of great significance for reducing the possibility of an armed attack on Japan itself,” likely referring to regional rivals such as China.
“To defend against incoming missiles while preventing further armed attacks, Japan must possess the capability to launch an effective counter-attack – a counterstrike capability. Long-range missiles can be used for this counterstrike capability,” Koizumi emphasised.
Notably, the acquisition and integration of Tomahawk missiles corresponds with the government’s National Security Strategy, which calls for counter-strike capabilities.
This is the first time in several decades that Japan is developing offensive capabilities, which it argues can be justified as self-defence since the ability to strike enemy bases in response to an armed attack is permitted under the Constitution.
Japan has been bolstering its long-range strike capabilities to deter China, which has been steadily expanding its military presence in the East China Sea. It views China’s rapid expansion of its missile forces and navy, and its assertive actions around the Senkaku Islands, which are claimed by both China and Taiwan, as Japan’s “greatest strategic challenge.”
Moreover, the Japanese leadership fears that the country could get dragged into a China-Taiwan conflict triggered by the PLA’s invasion of Taiwan, due to its geographic proximity.
These factors together have been key drivers of Tokyo’s decision to shift from a purely defensive posture to an offensive one. Once operationally deployed, the Tomahawks will improve “standoff defence capabilities to intercept and eliminate invading forces against Japan at a rapid pace and at long range.”
The Japanese government announced the purchase of 400 Tomahawk missiles in January 2024. The purchase agreement includes 200 Block IV Tomahawks, 200 Block V Tomahawks, 14 Tactical Tomahawk Weapon Control Systems, support, training, maintenance, and spares.
It initially intended to purchase up to 400 Block V Tomahawk missiles in fiscal 2026 and into the following year. However, to prioritise speedier deployment, Tokyo reportedly chose to begin purchasing the weapons a year ahead of schedule by swapping out up to half the missile units for an older variant, i.e., Block IV.
These missiles have the requisite range to attack targets deep inside the Chinese mainland, as well as North Korea, another major adversary in the region.
The PRC government has been staunchly opposing the militarisation undertaken by Japan at a breakneck speed, calling it provocative. However, for Tokyo, this militarisation is a strategic necessity given its location in an increasingly volatile region.
That said, Japan’s acquisition of the Tomahawk comes at a particularly significant time, as the United States is relentlessly firing these long-range weapons to hit targets inside Iran.
According to recent reports, the US military has fired over 850 Tomahawk missiles, triggering concerns over depleting stockpiles and future combat readiness.
Tomahawks Bolstering Japan’s Combat Capability
Developed in the 1970s to address the difficulties of contemporary combat, the Tomahawk is a crucial part of military planning for the US and its allies. The Tomahawk missile has significantly influenced modern warfare due to its precision and extended strike range, and has been consistently upgraded through the years to ensure lethality.
The missile is primarily designed to strike high-value, heavily defended land targets, such as command centres, airfields, and critical infrastructure. It is an extremely adaptable weapon, as it can be fired from surface ships, submarines, and, occasionally, ground-based launchers, as EurAsian Times reported previously.
The Tomahawk’s design architecture reduces risk by enabling standoff strikes, which are essential in modern warfare given the multi-layered, air-defence-saturated airspaces.
The missile’s range is around 1,600 kilometres for the Block III/IV model and over 1,800 kilometres for the more recent Block V variant. This means that Chokai can now strike targets deep inside China, operating from Japanese home waters, the East China Sea, or the western Pacific, without entering heavily defended airspace or waters.
If Japan gets dragged into a Taiwan contingency, JS Chokai could target PLA Rocket Force bases, airfields, naval ports, command centres, or amphibious invasion staging areas, potentially disrupting a cross-strait operation at its most vulnerable early stages.
The Block IV variant has an integrated datalink that allows it to hover for long periods and swap targets while in flight. Meanwhile, the Block V features cutting-edge technological advancements that enable the weapon to hit moving maritime targets while in the air and maintain a low altitude to avoid detection by adversaries’ radar systems.
The missile flies at low altitude on evasive routes, using GPS, inertial navigation, terrain-contour matching, and imaging infrared guidance. This makes it highly accurate against fixed targets even in defended areas.
Tomahawk cruise missiles are capable of causing enormous damage, including the destruction of buildings and the creation of explosive craters up to 20 feet wide with a warhead that weighs about 450 kilograms. Additionally, it may hit within a 10-meter radius of the target due to its Circular Error Probable (CEP) of roughly 10 meters or less.
The combination of JS Chokai and Tomahawk cruise missiles is particularly formidable because, unlike fixed land-based missiles, which are easier for an adversary to target pre-emptively, a destroyer at sea is harder to locate and destroy. Chokai can rapidly reposition, operate in tandem with US naval forces, and launch missiles from unpredictable locations, complicating enemy targeting in a potential conflict.
The integration of Tomahawk missiles on JS Chokai also adds multi-role versatility to the JSDF, which was previously focused on ballistic-missile defence and fleet air defence. Furthermore, integrating the missile could strengthen joint strike capabilities between Japan and its ally, the United States.
- Contact the author at sakshi.tiwari13 (at) outlook.com
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