The Japanese Ministry of Defense announced that on July 29, as part of a test, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) launched a BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missile for the first time in its history.
The launch took place in the Pacific Ocean from the Japanese Kongō-class destroyer JS Chōkai, which is currently based in the United States while undergoing upgrades to enable it to deploy BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missiles and conduct related tests.
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The JS Chōkai departed for the United States in September 2025 and is scheduled to return to Japan this September after undergoing modernization and completing all preparations for the deployment of BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missiles. These trials mark a new milestone in Japan's capabilities, enabling it to launch deep-strike attacks at ranges of up to 1,600 km in response to any aggression.
First and foremost, Japan needs the BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missiles to strengthen its deterrence against its two main regional adversaries—russia and China—whose military activities and rhetoric have become increasingly assertive in recent years.
Following the modernization of the JS Chōkai, Japan plans to carry out similar upgrades on eight more destroyers of the Kongō, Atago, and Maya classes.
Given that all of these destroyers are equipped with Mk 41 vertical launch systems (VLS), which are compatible with the BGM-109 Tomahawk, the upgrades required to enable the use of these missiles are not particularly complex.
In January 2024, Japan ordered 400 Tomahawk cruise missiles and 14 fire control systems from the United States for $1.7 billion. However, deliveries may be delayed due to the large number of Tomahawk missiles expended during this year's U.S. Operation Epic Fury.
It is worth noting that only four countries have ever launched Tomahawk cruise missiles: the United States, Australia, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom, however, has launched them exclusively from submarines.
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