The contract with which Japan undertakes with the United States to purchase 400 Tomahawk cruise missiles, with counterattack capability in enemy territory, was signed in Tokyo.
Under the agreement, Tokyo will incur an outlay of approximately 254 billion yen, equivalent to 1.6 billion euros for missiles and related equipment, over a three-year period starting in fiscal 2025, the government said. Ministry of Defence.
Initially, Japan planned to purchase the latest Tomahawk Block-5 models in fiscal years 2026 and 2027, to be deployed on the Aegis destroyers of the Maritime Self-Defense Forces, but last October it brought forward the purchase by a year, alternatively considering the procurement of the previous model, the Block-4.
Present at today's ceremony were Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara and the United States Ambassador, Rahm Emanuel - who confirmed that training for the use of Tomahawks will begin as early as March.
Kihara recalled that the government's decision to bring forward the acquisition of US missiles, with a range of around 1,600 kilometres, was taken "in consideration of an increasingly threatening security environment".
The ministry also said it signed another contract in October for the purchase of Norwegian-made JointStrike missiles starting in 2026, with a range of about 500 kilometers, which are expected to be mounted on US-made F-35A stealth fighters.
In December 2022, faced with what is defined as "the evolving geopolitical framework", with China's expansionism and the threat of the North Korean nuclear program, conservative Prime Minister Fumio Kishida had approved a five-year plan worth 320 billion euros to strengthen the capabilities defense of the country, with the aim of aligning with NATO directives, as hoped by the US ally, bringing military spending close to 2% of GDP.
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