Based on what was communicated by the Ministry of Defense of Japan, the AEGIS destroyer JS Chokai, Kongo-class, of the Maritime Self-Defense Force, will be deployed to the United States at the end of the present month to remain there for one year. The main objective of this deployment will be to prepare the ship and its crew for the future incorporation of Tomahawk cruise missiles, within the framework of Japan’s plan to strengthen its long-range defense capabilities.
According to the details provided, the ship will remain in the U.S. until mid-September 2026, during which period it will undergo various structural and systems modifications, in addition to the training of its crew with the support of the United States Navy. Likewise, the schedule includes live-fire tests in 2026, as part of the necessary preparation for the ship to acquire full operational capability in the employment of Tomahawk missiles.
Prior training in Japan
Before its departure, on September 25, 2025, the destroyer JS Chokai carried out a training exercise with Tomahawk dummy rounds at the Yokosuka Base of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, with the support of the United States Navy. The purpose of the training was to familiarize the crew with the necessary procedures, verify the safety systems, and validate the operational structures required for the use of the Tomahawk.
Incorporation of Tomahawk missiles
The deployment of the ship must be understood within the framework of the acquisition of Tomahawk missiles that Japan plans to purchase between 2025 and 2027, in parallel with domestic developments of long-range weaponry. This decision also responds to the need to reinforce its long-range defense capability, allowing it to intercept and neutralize threats before they reach Japanese territory.
The debate on the possible incorporation of Tomahawk missiles began in 2022, when the Japanese Ministry of Defense evaluated this option within the review of its National Security Strategy. The idea of adding long-range precision strike weapons sought to provide the country with a deterrent capability that it did not previously possess.
One year later, in November 2023, the government of the United States approved the possible sale of 400 RGM-109E Tomahawk missiles. This authorization marked a turning point, since Washington agreed to transfer to Tokyo a weapons system considered highly sensitive and strategic, thus consolidating the deepening of the bilateral alliance.
Finally, in January 2024, Japan signed the definitive agreement for the purchase of 400 Tomahawk missiles in their Block IV and Block V variants at a cost of USD 1.7 billion. In addition to the transfer of weapons, the contract included training programs, technical assistance, and logistical support, ensuring that the integration of the system into the Maritime Self-Defense Force takes place gradually and with U.S. accompaniment.
The Kongo-class destroyers
The JS Chokai is one of the ships belonging to the Kongo-class destroyers equipped with the AEGIS combat system, and based on the U.S. design of the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. Currently, the force has a total of four units that entered service in the 1990s. Among their main characteristics, it has a displacement of around 9,500 tons, with a length of 161 meters and a beam of 21 meters.
The armament and systems of destroyers of this class include the AEGIS combat system with the SPY-1D radar, capable of tracking and guiding missiles against multiple air and surface targets. In addition, they are equipped with Mk 41 Vertical Launching Systems (VLS) that allow the employment of SM-2 surface-to-air missiles and, in some units, SM-3 anti-ballistic interceptors, as well as Harpoon anti-ship missiles.
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