Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada said on Tuesday, February 14, that Japan plans to buy all the Tomahawk cruise missiles it is seeking from the United States in one go in fiscal 2023 rather than over several years as initially planned, Kyodo News reported on February 14.
Japan has been considering purchasing up to about 500 Tomahawks, according to a government source. Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada, speaking at a press conference, did not give a reason for the change of plan or say how many of the U.S.-developed long-range missiles the government would buy, saying only that it is eyeing procuring “all of the required quantity” in the year starting April, Kyodo News writes.
The announcement came amid China’s military buildup and the North Korean missile and nuclear threats. Indeed, the documents said Tomahawk missiles, with a strike range of about 1,600 kilometers, thus covering Chinese coastal areas, would underpin the capabilities for striking targets in enemy territory in the event of emergencies until Japan deploys home-made missiles.
A draft initial budget for fiscal 2023, decided by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s Cabinet in December, said 211.3 billion yen ($1.6 billion) will be set aside for the procurement of Tomahawk missiles, Kyodo News reports.
The Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM) is a long-range, all-weather, jet-powered, subsonic cruise missile that is primarily used by the U.S. Navy and Royal Navy in ship and submarine-based land-attack operations.
They are currently only manufactured at BAE systems in Aberdeen, South Dakota.