Japan is arming a warship with US missiles that can hit targets up to 1,000 miles away as Pacific arms race heats up

A Japanese warship is on the way to the United States to be fitted with Tomahawk cruise missiles, the latest move by Washington and its Asian allies to beef up firepower as adversaries like China and North Korea expand theirs.

The JS Chokai, an Aegis-equipped guided-missile destroyer, is steaming to the US for a year-long deployment during which the ship will undergo modifications – and crew training – to enable it to launch the Tomahawks, maneuverable cruise missiles with a range of about 1,000 miles.

That would put targets deep inside China or North Korea well within range of the Japanese warship.

Japan in early 2024 signed a deal with the US to acquire 400 Tomahawks as part of Tokyo’s plans to increase defense spending to counter regional threats in what Defense Minister Gen Nakatani has called the “most severe and complex security environment” since World War II.

China’s military activities present “the greatest strategic challenge” to Japan, the Defense Ministry’s annual white paper, released in July, said.