The guided-missile destroyer USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. fires a Tomahawk land-attack missile from an undisclosed location during Operation Epic Fury, Feb. 28, 2026. (U.S. Navy)
Japan plans to conduct live-fire training with Tomahawk missiles aboard the guided-missile destroyer JS Chokai in the eastern Pacific this summer, a milestone in Tokyo’s effort to field a long-range counterstrike capability.
The training, with support from the U.S. 3rd Fleet, will mark the first live-fire validation of the missile system on a Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force warship, according to Japanese and U.S. Navy officials.
The Chokai required approximately five months of modifications to accommodate the U.S.-made cruise missiles.
By equipping Japanese vessels with Tomahawks, the two countries are “effectively synchronizing our systems and crews for seamless integration,” an unnamed Pacific Fleet spokesperson said in a statement emailed Friday by Lt. Cmdr. Molly Fresher.
“The strategic goal is clear: we are strengthening our credible deterrence against regional aggression to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific,” the statement said.
The Japanese guided-missile destroyer JS Chokai arrives at Naval Base San Diego, Oct. 15, 2025. (Timothy Weber/U.S. Navy)
Once the live-fire training is completed, the Chokai will undergo “more advanced training at sea with the support of the U.S. Navy,” a spokesperson for Japan’s Defense Ministry told Stars and Stripes in an unsigned email Thursday. Some Japanese government officials must speak to the media on condition of anonymity.
The ministry declined to comment further, citing security concerns.
Another guided-missile destroyer, the JS Kirishima, is also expected to become capable of launching Tomahawks by March 2027 at the latest, the ministry said.
Japan has been pursuing Tomahawk capabilities since at least 2022, when it announced plans to buy up to 500 cruise missiles with delivery between fiscal years 2026 and 2027. The U.S. in November 2023 greenlit a $2.35 billion deal to sell Japan 200 Block IV missiles and 200 upgraded Block V versions.
Japan accepted its first Tomahawks in March, Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said at a March 13 press conference. The ministry has not specified how many missiles have been delivered.
However, the United States’ war with Iran may delay further deliveries, Bloomberg reported April 3, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter.
The U.S. has launched more than 850 Tomahawks since Feb. 28, more than a quarter of its estimated stockpile of around 3,000, according to a March 27 report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
The Defense Ministry acknowledged the reports but declined to comment. The Pentagon also declined to comment in an unsigned email on Monday.
