After completing a new bilateral exercise, the U.S. Army is preparing to withdraw its new Typhon missile launch system from Japan, which was capable of reaching targets even in neighboring China. The news was confirmed to the media by Japan’s Ministry of Defense, which stated that during activities conducted as part of the Resolute Dragon 25 exercise, the system had been deployed at the Marine Corps Air Station located in the Japanese city of Iwakuni.
In this regard, the defense ministry stated: “The Ministry of Defense has received an explanation from the United States that the U.S. Forces in Japan are preparing for the withdrawal of the Typhon. We refrain from commenting on when this will occur, as it relates to the details of U.S. operations.” It is worth noting that some local media, such as Shimbun Akahata, had already begun expressing concerns in recent weeks about whether the deployment would have an end date, or whether, on the contrary, the Typhon system would remain there indefinitely.
The matter is by no means minor, considering that the local government had been informed that the system would be withdrawn one week after the completion of the joint U.S.-Japan training activities, which ran from September 11 to 25, with most field activities taking place from the 17th onward. For those concerned that the Typhon system might remain in Japan—given its implications regarding the Asian Giant—the circumstances seemed reminiscent of the situation in the Philippines, where the system was deployed in April for military exercises but was later kept for a considerably longer period with no withdrawal date currently scheduled.
In response to China’s “strong opposition,” expressed through its foreign affairs ministry, Japan’s Ministry of Defense even deemed it necessary to clarify that an indefinite deployment was not in Tokyo’s plans, and that the missile launch system had only been received on its territory for the aforementioned exercise. Moreover, it was stated that Washington also did not intend to keep the Typhon in Japan permanently and that this had already been conveyed to Japanese authorities, easing concerns on the matter.
It is important to recall that on September 16, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated during a press conference: “The United States and Japan must seriously respect the security concerns of other countries and contribute positively to regional peace and stability, rather than the opposite. We urge Japan to carefully reflect on its history of aggression, follow the path of peaceful development, and act prudently in the military and security fields.”
China’s concerns centered primarily on the Typhon system’s ability to deploy missiles capable of reaching the country’s east coast, a capability achievable through the use of Tomahawk missiles with a range exceeding 1,200 kilometers, while it can also launch shorter-range SM-6 missiles. As such, the Typhon system has been designed precisely as a platform to counter China’s growing naval deployments in the Indo-Pacific, positioning them at various strategic points to support the containment strategy outlined by Washington.
Images used for illustrative purposes.
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