Japan deployed a destroyer to the United States in September 2025 for modifications and crew training that will add Tomahawk cruise missiles to Tokyo’s capabilities.
The JS Chokai will “undergo upgrades and training for stand-off defense capabilities — the first of its kind for JMSDF, strengthening deterrence and response under the strong Japan-U.S. alliance,” the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force stated.
The conversion is scheduled to be complete by September 2026, following Tomahawk live-fire training, Japan’s Defense Ministry stated. The JMSDF and the U.S. Navy conducted training with mock Tomahawk munitions before the JS Chokai departed for San Diego on the U.S. West Coast.
The allies have been rehearsing with the cruise missile launch systems since 2024 after Japan announced plans to buy up to 400 of the missiles as part of its defense strategy. Tomahawks can target threats precisely, even in well-guarded airspace, with a range of 1,600 kilometers.
The subsonic land-attack weapons can be launched from surface ships or submarines. Japan is acquiring a variant that can be rerouted during flight and strike targets using infrared imaging, The War Zone news website reported. Advanced versions will have survivability upgrades that allow the missiles to hit moving targets.
Japan plans to equip eight operational destroyers with Tomahawks and will deploy the cruise missiles on two destroyers under construction.
The Chokai and other Kongo-class destroyers already are “notably well-equipped,” boasting powerful radar systems, surface-to-air missiles, and anti-ship and anti-submarine capabilities, The War Zone reported.
Increasing tensions in the Indo-Pacific, particularly threats from China and North Korea, prompted Japan’s development of counterstrike capabilities, which allow Tokyo to act “early and from far away” to disrupt and defeat potential invasions.
China’s military has grown increasingly assertive around Japan, and Beijing’s threats to forcibly annex self-governed Taiwan threaten Tokyo’s security and economic interests. North Korea’s illegal weapons development undermines regional stability. Russia also has violated Tokyo’s airspace as recently as 2024, and Moscow’s growing strategic cooperation with Beijing and Pyongyang multiplies security concerns.
Japan accelerated its Tomahawk procurement after the original announcement in 2024, citing an increasingly severe security environment. Its agreement with the U.S. includes support, maintenance and equipment, the U.S. Naval Institute News reported.
Cooperation with the U.S. is “evidence of steady progress in the Tomahawk program” and Japan “will continue to work toward the early establishment of stand-off defense capabilities,” its Defense Ministry stated.
The United Kingdom fields Tomahawks on nuclear-powered Royal Navy submarines and plans to deploy the capability on frigates. Australia conducted its inaugural Tomahawk firing from the guided-missile destroyer HMAS Brisbane during training off San Diego in 2024. The Royal Netherlands Navy tested the cruise missile from the frigate HNLMS De Ruyter off the U.S. East Coast in March 2025.
