Japanese Defense Ministry signs contract to purchase 400 US-made long-range Tomahawk missiles

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Japan’s Defence Minister signed a contract on Thursday authorizing his military to purchase Tomahawk missiles from the United States, officials said.

Japanese Minister Minoru Kihara joined US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel in Tokyo, where the two officials signed a deal for Japan to purchase 400 US-made long-range Tomahawk missiles. The deal comes as Japan seeks to ramp up its military capabilities to counter regional security threats, including from China, North Korea, and Russia.

Japan will “strengthen its stand-off defense capabilities in order to disrupt and defeat the forces invading Japan early and from far away,” the Japan Ministry of Defense/Japan Self-Defense Forces said in a press release on Wednesday. “In order to swiftly build this capability, JMOD / JSDF is, first of all, working towards the prompt procurement of indigenous stand-off missiles.”

“In addition, as announced in October of last year, the Government of Japan has also decided to procure Tomahawk, which is complementary the indigenous stand-off missiles, one year ahead of schedule,” the statement continued.

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Japan signed a deal with its ally the United States on January 18,` to buy 400 long-range Tomahawk missiles as it ramps up its military capacity to counter regional security threats.  (STR/JIJI Press/AFP via Getty Images)

According to the statement, Japan will ultimately acquire the missile between fiscal years 2025 and 2027. 

“We are pleased to announce that we have concluded a Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) for the acquisition of Tomahawk missiles and related equipment with United States Government under a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) agreement, which was signed at the Ministry of Defense on Thursday, January 18, 2024, in the presence of Mr. KIHARA, Minister of Defense of Japan, and His Excellency Mr. Rahm EMANUEL, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States to Japan,” the Ministry of Defense said.

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In this handout released by the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Barry (DDG 52) launches a Tomahawk cruise missile  in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn March 29, 2011 from the Mediterranean Sea. (U.S. Navy via Getty Images)

It added: “We will continue to promote the procurement of various stand-off missiles and work for early building of stand-off defense capabilities based on the Defense Buildup Program.”

The purchase comes as China’s aggressive maneuvers in the Indo-Pacific region have escalated tensions with Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, and other countries. These smaller countries have sought assistance from the U.S. via trade agreements and military technologies.

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida approved a major defence policy overhaul on December 16, including a significant spending hike, as it warned China poses the “greatest strategic challenge ever” to the country’s security.  (DAVID MAREUIL/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

South Korea, U.S. and Japan held a trilateral missile defense exercise in the international waters of the East Sea on Wednesday, Seoul’s military said, amid heightened tensions caused by North Korea’s recent missile launches.  (South Korean Defense Ministry via Getty Images)

Separately, Japan has expressed concern over a developing relationship between Russia and North Korea, as the latter country continues to ramp up its pursuit of nuclear and ballistic weapons.

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Top nuclear envoys from the U.S., Japan and South Korea met on Thursday for a trilateral meeting in Seoul. The officials criticized North Korea’s military cooperation with Moscow after the North’s Foreign Minister’s meeting with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and as the hermit country continues to conduct missile tests.