Japan Fires First Tomahawk From Warship in Pacific Test
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- Japan's Defence Ministry conducted the country's first Tomahawk cruise missile test launch from a warship — the destroyer JS Chokai — in the Pacific Ocean on July 29.
- The ministry said the test "confirmed that the missile can be launched successfully under operational conditions, including verification of the crew's proficiency in conducting the launch."
- Tomahawk missiles are the centerpiece of Tokyo's new long-range strike strategy, designed to deter aggression from China and North Korea.
- Japan has a US order for approximately 400 Tomahawks to be delivered by March 2028 under a US$2.35 billion (S$3 billion) contract signed in 2024 — one of the largest foreign orders for the weapon.
- Bloomberg reported in April that the US informed Tokyo deliveries would be disrupted because Tomahawks were consumed during the war against Iran.
- Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi confirmed in March that the first shipment had been received, and after the Bloomberg disruption report said there were no changes to the delivery schedule for the remaining missiles.
Why it matters: Japan just proved it can operationally launch Tomahawks from a warship, a real expansion of its strike reach against China and North Korea. But the 400-missile order due by March 2028 is now competing with Iran-war consumption of US stockpiles — Koizumi's "no changes" reassurance notwithstanding, the Bloomberg delivery warning is the story underneath the test.
