Overview
- The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer JS Chokai fired a Tomahawk cruise missile in the Pacific on July 29, confirming the ship, its launch systems, and crew procedures worked as intended.
- Tokyo is buying up to 400 Tomahawk missiles under a U.S. Foreign Military Sales deal and has approved about ¥113.6 billion to fit five Aegis destroyers with Tomahawk launch capability.
- The U.S. Navy provided the test range, air and sea monitoring, technical support, and training for Chokai’s modifications, highlighting growing interoperability between the two allies.
- Japanese officials declined to disclose test specifics such as the missile variant, range, target type, or number of rounds fired and said no further shipboard live-fires are planned for now with Chokai due back in Japan around September.
- The test advances Japan’s post‑2022 shift toward limited counterstrike and long‑range standoff options and could reshape regional deterrence while Tokyo continues to develop domestic long‑range weapons and new Aegis System Equipped Vessels.