Japan's Kongo-class destroyer JS Chokai fired a Tomahawk cruise missile in the first-ever live launch from a Japanese surface ship, conducted in the Pacific with US Navy support. The test follows US-based modifications and crew training, and underlines Tokyo's effort to field long-range, standoff strike options. Japan has ordered 400 Tomahawks (200 Block IV, 200 Block V) with deliveries expected by next year, and officials do not anticipate schedule delays. The move advances Japan–US interoperability and regional deterrence.
Japan’s JS Chokai Conducts First Live Tomahawk Launch, Advancing Long-Range Strike Capability
Japan has purchased 400 Tomahawks, all of which are expected to deliver by next year.Japanese Ministry of Defense
Japan's Aegis destroyer JS Chokai successfully fired a Tomahawk cruise missile in a Pacific Ocean test this week, marking the first live Tomahawk launch from a Japanese surface warship. The Ministry of Defense called the test "steady progress in the Tomahawk project," underscoring Tokyo's push to strengthen long-range, stand-off strike capabilities with close US cooperation.
Test And Training
The live-fire was conducted with support from the US Navy after JS Chokai sailed to the United States last autumn for ship modifications and crew training. Before the departure, Chokai's crew practised loading drills alongside US personnel using inert dummy missiles; the recent event was the crew's first launch of an operational Tomahawk.
What Japan Has Procured
Japan has ordered 400 Tomahawk cruise missiles from RTX Corporation (formerly Raytheon): 200 Block IV variants and 200 Block V variants. Deliveries are expected to be completed by next year. Although reports suggested heavy Tomahawk use in recent conflicts may have reduced US stockpiles, Japan's defence minister said in May that the ministry did not anticipate delays to the delivery schedule.
Capability And Strategic Context
Tomahawk cruise missiles provide a proven, long-range precision strike option. Block IV Tomahawks have an estimated range of about 1,000 miles (roughly 1,600 km); Block V variants are expected to extend beyond that range and include additional upgrades and flexibility for maritime operations.
Tokyo plans to equip future Aegis-capable destroyers with Tomahawks as part of a broader national defence strategy that emphasises standoff weapons to engage hostile forces at greater distances. The Ministry framed the successful live-fire both as a practical validation of the weapon integration and as a demonstration of Japan–US cooperation to strengthen regional deterrence and maritime defence capabilities.
Recent Exercises
The launch follows the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force's recent participation in the US-led Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise. The first-in-class Kongo destroyer participated in live-fire drills during RIMPAC, which involved more than 30 nations, over 30 surface vessels, five submarines, more than 200 aircraft and about 30,000 personnel—highlighting interoperability between Japan and allied navies.
Why It Matters: The JS Chokai's successful launch signals a step change in Japan's maritime strike reach and reinforces combined Japan-US capabilities in the Indo-Pacific.
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