According to Japanese media reports, the Japanese government is considering the purchase of the US “Tomahawk” cruise missiles to enhance the long-range attack capability of the Self-Defense Forces, while increasing the range of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces missiles from hundreds of kilometers to thousands of kilometers. At present, the destroyers of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force tend to conduct air defense operations, such as the Kongo-class, Atago-class and Maya-class destroyers, all of which are called air defense destroyers, equipped with Type 90 or Type 17 anti-ship missiles, of which Type 90 anti-ship missiles follow The U.S. Navy’s “Harpoon” anti-ship missile is similar in general, with a maximum range of 150 kilometers, while the Type 17 anti-ship missile is improved on the basis of the Type 90 anti-ship missile, and the maximum range is limited to a combat range of 200 kilometers. Both missiles are conventional subsonic anti-ship missiles.
The Japan Self-Defense Force purchased the “Tomahawk” cruise missile with a combat range of more than 1,000 kilometers. Compared with the active anti-ship missiles of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, the range has increased by 4 times. According to the confirmation from the Japanese government, the United States and Japan are actively supporting the purchase of Tomahawk cruise missiles, and the negotiation has entered the final stage. “Tomahawk” cruise missile to enhance Japan’s maritime offensive capabilities.
Japan has long sought to purchase the U.S. Tomahawk cruise missile. When building the Kongo-class destroyer, the U.S. exported the Aegis system to Japan, but it reduced its offensive capability and could not carry the Tomahawk cruise missile. In order to restrict the export of “quasi-strategic weapons” to Japan, the Japanese want to purchase “Tomahawk” cruise missiles, and the most important thing is to value the long-range strike capability of “Tomahawk” cruise missiles. The “Tomahawk” cruise missile has developed various types such as land attack type and anti-ship type. If the Japanese Self-Defense Force deploys the “Tomahawk” cruise missile, with a range of 1250 kilometers, the missile range can cover China’s coastal areas.
Kyodo News said that if Japan introduces the Tomahawk cruise missile, it will enhance long-range deterrence, and it is expected to be deployed on the destroyers of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force deploys 8 Aegis destroyers, 28 general-purpose destroyers, and 2 top-level frigates to replace all active Type 90 or Type 17 anti-ship missiles with “Tomahawk” cruise missiles. The ship is equipped with 8 ships, which means that the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force will deploy at least 304 “Tomahawk” cruise missiles, while the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force will deploy 8 Aegis destroyers, which are based on the US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. Dozens of Tomahawk cruise missiles.
In 2017, Japan sought to deploy medium-range ballistic missiles and cruise missiles, including the introduction of Tomahawk cruise missiles to enhance the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s ability to carry out pre-emptive strikes, but the United States refused to sell Tomahawk cruise missiles to Japan after various considerations. missile. With the Kishida government coming to power, the Japanese government plans to revise three documents including the “National Security Guarantee Strategy” by the end of 2022. After the revision, important clauses will be added, that is, the Japanese Self-Defense Forces will deploy “counterattacks” to destroy enemy missile launch bases, etc. capabilities”, which means that Japan will develop long-range offensive strike capabilities.
At the same time, Japan is actively developing its own cruise missile with a range of 2,000 kilometers, known as the “Japanese version of the Tomahawk missile”, but it is estimated that mass production and actual deployment will be realized in 2026. In order to fill the vacuum period of Japan’s long-range attack capability, Japan has stepped up Procurement of US Tomahawk cruise missiles to increase preemptive long-range offensive capabilities. The “Tomahawk” cruise missile is a precision-guided cruise missile currently in service in the United States. The latest model of the cruise missile has a range of 2,400 kilometers. Since the Gulf War, it has been used in previous wars launched by the US military, and it has shown excellent performance in actual combat, which is also an important reason why Japan values the “Tomahawk” cruise missile.
Earlier, Japan announced that it would deploy at least 1,000 long-range cruise missiles. It plans to deploy long-range cruise missiles from the southwestern islands to Kyushu. Obviously, it will enhance Japan’s ability to block the sea lanes leading to the Western Pacific. With the key of cruise missiles Sexual indicators, such as the U.S. Tomahawk cruise missile is extremely versatile, it can be launched from land, sea and air launch platforms, and the overall raid capability by using low-altitude flight is very strong. The Axe cruise missile has a compressed range, but the 1,000-kilometer range is also enough for Japan’s long-range strike operations.
Japan is trying to develop an anti-ship missile with a range of about 1,000 kilometers on the basis of the Type 12 shore-to-ship missile, but the high cost and long development cycle have prompted Japan to purchase the American Tomahawk cruise missile. Japanese media claimed that Japan purchased Tomahawk cruise missiles, a move aimed at filling the “missile gap” with China, while the modified Japanese “Aegis” destroyer, whose vertical launch system can accommodate “Tomahawk” missiles, can Mobile deployment and operations can be carried out at any time, relying on a range of 1,000 kilometers, and its range will be able to cover parts of the Far East of China and Russia.
Japan’s “Yomiuri Shimbun” pointed out that China’s military power is rapidly modernizing, and its military activities in the Western Pacific are becoming more frequent. At the same time, it reverses black and white claims, and worries about the Chinese navy’s activities in the Taiwan Strait and the sea and airspace around Japan. Let China use force to achieve national unity.
After Pelosi came to power in August, the Chinese navy and air force held a large-scale live-fire exercise around the island, and some of the missiles landed in the waters less than 160 kilometers away from Japan. It can be seen that Japan has once again played up missile deterrence. Although Japan is purchasing military equipment and has always used the threat of North Korea as a guise, it is actually pointing its finger at China, and Japan’s purchase of the US Tomahawk cruise missile is also targeting China.
Japanese media reported that China has deployed 1,900 medium-range ballistic missiles and 300 cruise missiles, which can be deployed in Japan, while Japan lacks ballistic missiles and cruise missiles against China. So many Chinese ballistic and cruise missiles, and Japan deploys Tomahawk cruise missiles to counter Chinese missiles. In fact, the Japanese air defense system is a key component of the U.S. military’s defense system in the Asia-Pacific theater. Relying on the deployment of the Patriot missile system in Japan, coupled with the South Korean THAAD system, it can provide early warning of missiles in China and Russia.
At the same time, after failing to introduce the land-based “Aegis” system, Japan is starting to build two 20,000-ton air defense destroyer systems, equipped with the land-based “Aegis” system, and will also introduce the latest US SPY-6 radar system. , to improve missile identification and air defense capabilities. At the tactical level, Japan’s deployment of “Tomahawk” cruise missiles with a range of 1,000 kilometers means that it has “pre-emptive” combat capability. included in the attack range.
In view of the lack of strategic bomber platforms in Japan, the platforms are Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyers and submarines, but Japan continues to deepen the relationship between Japan and the United States under the loosening of the United States. It is likely that Japan will export the “Tomahawk” cruise missile, which will break Japan’s long-term The implementation of the exclusive defense policy has broken the existing strategic balance in Northeast Asia, and the United States is consolidating the so-called island chain blockade.
Japan will take the opportunity to increase its military power and expand its armaments frantically, which will further inspire Japanese militarism. Under the rise of Japanese militarism, it is clamoring that “if there is something in Taiwan, there is something in Japan”, and the Taiwan Strait is included in the Japanese combat system, and Japan’s ambition is gradually exposed. The deployment of the Tomahawk cruise missile is likely after the U.S. push to deploy land-based intermediate-range missiles in Japan was frustrated.
Now Japan has taken the initiative to introduce the US “Tomahawk” cruise missiles and become the US missile bridgehead. In response to Japan’s crazy military plans, it remains vigilant enough, but if Japan wants to intervene in the Taiwan Strait or strike China’s southeastern coast with the “Tomahawk” cruise missile, China will definitely launch a devastating blow to Japan.