Particle.news
Download on the App Store
5 ARTICLES
·
last wk.

Japan Sends First Destroyer to U.S. for Yearlong Tomahawk Upgrades and Training

Tokyo is accelerating a 400‑missile Tomahawk buy to add long‑range standoff strike under the U.S.–Japan alliance.

Image
The Japanese destroyer JS Chokai conducts dummy Tomahawk missile-loading training at Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan, on September 25, 2025.
The JS Chokai will spend a year in San Diego learning how to use American-made Tomahawk cruise missiles. Image courtesy of US Navy

Overview

  • The Aegis destroyer JS Chokai left Yokosuka for San Diego for modifications and crew training running from September 2025 to September 2026, Japan’s defense ministry said.
  • Before departure, the ship practiced loading dummy Tomahawk rounds at Yokosuka with U.S. Navy support to validate procedures and safety management.
  • Japan expects initial missile deliveries by the end of March 2026, with live‑fire trials for Chokai planned around summer 2026 to confirm readiness for operational missions.
  • The United States approved a $2.35 billion sale totaling 400 Tomahawks—200 Block IV and 200 Block V—with deliveries scheduled across fiscal years 2025 to 2027, as U.S. training of JMSDF personnel has been underway since March 2024.
  • Tokyo plans to field Tomahawk capability on all eight in‑service Aegis destroyers and two Aegis System Equipped Vessels under construction, citing a more severe regional security environment involving China and North Korea.