Japan and U.S. to Commence Training in Late March for Tomahawk Missile Deployment

The Yomiuri Shimbun

21:03 JST, February 14, 2024

Japan and the United States will conduct joint training for the introduction of U.S.-made Tomahawk cruise missiles starting from late March. This was revealed following a meeting between U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel and Defense Minister Minoru Kihara at the Defense Ministry on Wednesday.

The Japanese government plans to purchase up to 400 Tomahawk missiles from the U.S. government and install them on Aegis destroyers, which are operated by the Maritime Self-Defense Force, from fiscal year 2025 onwards.

The training is expected to begin around March 25th in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture. 30 MSDF personnel are expected to receive guidance from the U.S. Navy. Training conducted within the United States is also under consideration.