Japan's Ministry of Defense announced on 30/7 that the Kongo-class destroyer JS Chokai conducted a live-fire test in the Pacific with the support of the US Navy. This marks the first time a Japanese warship has launched a Tomahawk cruise missile, a significant step towards integrating this powerful weapon into its arsenal.

Japanese officials stated the test not only confirmed the warship's capability to fire Tomahawk missiles but also the crew's proficiency in operating the weapon. This successfully overcame a significant hurdle in the Tomahawk's commissioning process, demonstrating stable progress in the project.

The destroyer Chokai fires a Tomahawk missile in the Pacific on 29/7. *Photo: Japan Ministry of Defense*

The destroyer Chokai fires a Tomahawk missile in the Pacific on 29/7. *Photo: Japan Ministry of Defense*

Japan has become the third nation outside the United States to launch Tomahawk missiles from a surface vessel, following Australia and the Netherlands. The British Royal Navy has only fired this missile type from submarines to date.

The test is the culmination of a process that began in 10/2025, when the destroyer JS Chokai arrived in the United States for modification and crew training. The warship completed structural upgrades, software integration, and essential crew training for Tomahawk missile use in March. The JS Chokai is expected to return to Japan around September.

Kongo-class warships are equipped with the Aegis defense shield, a system serving as the backbone of the US Navy's multi-layered defense network. This is one of the few non-US warship classes to integrate Aegis. For decades, Japan's Aegis warships focused solely on air defense and ballistic missile interception missions. Integrating Tomahawk missiles will change this, providing them with the capability to strike fixed targets hundreds of kilometers inland, as well as enemy warships at sea.

The Japanese Navy simulates Tomahawk missile loading operations for the warship Chokai in a video posted in 9/2025. *Video: JMSDF*

Acquiring Tomahawk missiles is part of Japan's effort to build "long-range defense capabilities," addressing the increasingly complex security environment in the region. The Tomahawk missile is nicknamed the "messenger of war" because the United States often uses it for pre-emptive strikes in various conflicts. Japan has ordered up to 400 Tomahawk missiles from the United States, including Block IV and Block V variants, in a deal valued at approximately one billion USD.

The Block IV version can strike targets at a range of 1,600 km and carries a 450 kg warhead. The missile can alter its flight path mid-course and loiter in a specific area to await targets. The Block V version features improved survivability and can also engage mobile targets, particularly in a long-range anti-ship role.

By Pham Giang (According to War Zone, USNI News)