Japan has proposed to the United States to purchase up to 500 Tomahawk missiles|Tomahawk|Missile|Japan_Sina Military_Sina.com

Original title: Japan has proposed to the United States to purchase Tomahawk missiles, up to 500

(Observer Network News) The latest developments in the Japanese government’s plan to purchase the US “Tomahawk” cruise missile. According to the “Yomiuri Shimbun” report on November 30, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida had previously made a purchase request to US President Biden during the bilateral summit meeting on the 13th, and the two sides confirmed that they would advance purchase negotiations. The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned that the Ministry of Defense is considering plans to purchase up to 500 Tomahawk missiles by fiscal year 2027.

According to reports, this news has been confirmed by many government sources in Japan and the United States.

Recently, the Japanese government has been hoping to equip long-range missiles and obtain the so-called “counterattack capability” to “strike enemy missile launch bases for the purpose of self-defense”. The current coalition Liberal Democratic Party and Citizens Party have reached an agreement to reflect this change when they revise the National Security Strategy in December.

At present, the specific means of this “counterattack capability” envisioned by Japan is an improved missile developed on the basis of the Type 12 shore-to-ship missile currently in service by Luzi. After the missile is improved, the range will be greatly increased.

As early as the end of 2020, the Japanese media revealed that Japan will develop the “Type 12 shore-to-ship missile capability-up model” and the “new anti-ship missile for island and reef defense” (the planned range reaches 2,000 kilometers, which has been basically cancelled). A long-range cruise missile, of which the “Type 12 capability-up type” has been improved to a range of 900 kilometers in the first stage, and then continued to be improved, with a range of 1,500 kilometers.

However, even according to the planned schedule, the Type 12 shore-to-ship missiles that have been improved in the preliminary stage will be put into use in fiscal year 2026. Therefore, the Japanese government considers the purchase of “Tomahawk” cruise missiles for emergency until the domestic missiles are fully put into use.

“Yomiuri Shimbun” stated that the Ministry of Defense introduced “Tomahawk” in order to obtain “counterattack capability” as soon as possible. Considering North Korea’s rapid development of missile technology, it is estimated that the number of “Tomahawk” missiles that Japan needs to purchase by the 2027 fiscal year will reach 500. Due to uncertain factors such as US manufacturing capacity, the scale of future purchases may also change.

The report pointed out that the relevant procurement negotiations are progressing smoothly. On November 13, local time, at the Japan-US summit meeting held in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida expressed to President Biden his determination to strengthen defense capabilities, and the procurement of “Tomahawk” was put on the agenda. Biden said that Japan has a high priority in purchasing Tomahawks, and emphasized that the United States will steadily advance the procurement process.

In 1991, during Operation Desert Storm, the U.S. battleship USS Wisconsin fired Tomahawk missiles at Iraqi targets.

The American-made BGM-109 “Tomahawk” cruise missile is a technologically mature all-weather subsonic cruise missile in the United States. It has a range of more than 1,250 kilometers and a low flying altitude. It uses guidance methods including satellite navigation and was once used as a long-range precision strike weapon. Famous in the Gulf War. The Tomahawk family was originally developed by General Dynamics, and current models are now manufactured by Raytheon.

Earlier on October 28, a number of Japanese officials revealed to the Yomiuri Shimbun that the Japanese government had contacted the United States regarding the purchase of Tomahawk missiles, and the United States had “showed a positive attitude” towards this. “It’s in the final stages.” The UK bought 65 Tomahawks in 2014 for a total of about $140 million.

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