Japan considers buying up to 500 U.S. Tomahawk missiles until FY2027

Is this kind of moves that is the reason why there cannot be any peace in our region and why the US love creating tension and conflicts for us. Hoping we buy their overpriced crap. I have no issue if the jsdf want to develop their own defense system, but relying and buying from a outside source is never the solution.

Unfortunately, this US weapons import comes at the expense of Japanese made weapons.

The JGSDF is cutting back its tank and artillery fleet from 900 to just 300 units each to pay for missile imports.

https://www.sankei.com/article/20221126-PIZGARQN7JIULK6XG7ATIXUV7Q/

*＜独自＞戦車・火砲の削減方針維持　ミサイル防衛に重点　防衛省*

*防衛省は限られた予算で装備品の最適化を図るため、ミサイルやイージス艦の購入を優先し、戦車や火砲は徐々に削減している。**平成７年末の改定で各９００両・門だった定数は、１６年末の改定で各６００両・門、２２年末の改定で各４００両・門へと減少し、２５年末と３０年末の直近過去２回の改定の際はいずれも各３００両・門とされた。*

@Hiro

 I have no issue if the jsdf want to develop their own defense system

Japan is a post-industrial society like UK where manufacturing is winding down, replaced by finance and foreign tourism as two main pillars of economy.

Half of Japan's defense contractors already quit business and more are to quit in the following years. Developing and building advanced weapons is beyond the means of Japan nowadays.

@Samit Basu, nothing is ever beyond the means. If there is a demand in the market, there will always be responders who will answer. If half left, there is still the other half available. Or newcomers. All the things you mention is basically just excuses. We have seen countless events were critics claim it can never be done etc but in the end were proven wrong. Is only impossible because you don't dare to take the first step. The problem is also the govenrment who refuse to make more flexible policies to support it.

Yes, better than nothing, but at least I wouldn’t mount them on ships, but more secretly on undetectable land-based silos or similar installations. That’s just too easy for potential aggressors to strike and take pout those visible and quasi-static targets which all ships undoubtedly are, and then not only the ships but also all those new and expensive 500 missiles are only unusable garbage on the sea ground.

Good! Maybe Japan can protect itself now. Play with the big boys Nippon!

Big Boss will profit a lot with increase 2% of GDP

for defense of Japan.

For that reason, Washington DC mercenaries will never, ever allow Japan to have nuclear weapons.

As long as Washington DC controls Japanese bureaucrats Japan will never be a sovereign country.

Japan is a post-industrial society like UK where manufacturing is winding down, replaced by finance and foreign tourism as two main pillars of economy.

First, Tourism is less than 1% of Japan's GDP, Finance is less than 2%. Moreover, the UK still is able to build aircraft carriers and jet fighters.

Half of Japan's defense contractors already quit business

Because they are not allowed to export. This is going to change.

Good! Maybe Japan can protect itself now.

Thats right. Since America is going down the tubes.

Play with the big boys Nippon!

Japan already is playing with the big boys and kicking some serious A##.

Thats right. Since America is going down the tubes.

Not as fast as Japan is.

Japan already is playing with the big boys and kicking some serious A##.

the big boys? try the old boys considering 40% of your population is old.

But I have no problem with the US Japan alliance ending and Japan having to fight on its own.

Cause when Japan is not backed by the US, the right wing nutjobs will be told to shut up by their Nippon Kaigi handlers because they won't be able to afford pissing off China or Russia

Don’t waste money on the US crap just to bail them out of their recession! Homemade will be better so hurry up and get making!

Yeah sure,keep buying and militarizing more with our taxes. After all the economy is bad,the cost of life and it’s products increased but not our salary. No welfare at all,what a better time to double or even triple the military expenses.

BIG waste of money, Instead of looking for a good relationship and understanding, Instead of seeking a good relationship and understanding with neighboring countries, prefer to indulge the geopolitical whims of the US, just pathetic...

Good! Maybe Japan can protect itself now. Play with the big boys Nippon!

Easy John Wayne, cool your guns..lol..

here we are.there are monye for salary increases,family support money,school fees support money,lowering VAT for basic food,for new hospitals,schools but yes-there are money for outdated US weaponry because Japan MUST act in name of US interests...btw are you still talking about keeping of peace in this part of the world?you must either naive or insane...

The JGSDF is cutting back its tank and artillery fleet from 900 to just 300 units each to pay for missile imports.

Japan is an island. If an aggressor nation has already landed, the war will be over shortly. Tanks aren't very useful. Same for artillery, unless it can have pin-point accuracy to hit landing craft and protect Japanese ships and boats at sea. That seems to be the main mission for new weapons systems in Japan - along with air defense. Tanks don't exactly live long with an attack aircraft overhead.

Don't know if Japan should or shouldn't buy these things. 500 isn't exactly going to make much difference to the US economy. It will help the prime contractor and the companies involved with shipping, so perhaps 20K people, if I'm being generous.

Tomahawk missiles can be ground and ship attack missiles. Get them close and have a window target.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jgv5ixxgTsQ Tomahawk accuracy against a moving ship. Don't worry, the pigeons weren't harmed. There's video proof. This was in 2013. Bet those missiles are more accurate today.

Tanks aren't very useful. Same for artillery, unless it can have pin-point accuracy to hit landing craft and protect Japanese ships and boats at sea. That seems to be the main mission for new weapons systems in Japan - along with air defense. Tanks don't exactly live long with an attack aircraft overhead.

Very true. The main mission of a tank is to destroy enemy tanks. And US armored doctrine is to never commit tanks without air superiority.

An MBT weighing at 50+ tons is impractical for an invading force on an island, as the tank itself would require the same logistics as 200 infantrymen.

If the invaders don’t have tanks, maintaining huge massed armor brigades is an unnecessary drain of manpower and money.

When a merchant wants to sell his product, he places ads in the newspapers, TV, radio and internet. But when a country wants to sells weapons and “protection”, can it do the same? Not likely. It resorts to complementary product of the manufacturing process. It manufactures the required enemies and conflicts which is equivalent to a warranty that the products will be needed.

Maj Gen Smedley D Butler was short of saying this in his essay, “War is a Racket”.

The headline should read "by 2027" in English, not "until 2027". Japanese articles say "までに", which means "by".

LDP government dogmatically thrust to expand armament with ignoring even security dilemma or deliberation at the Diet.

By the time Japan ever has to use those rockets in a war there will be no young adults to fire them with the graying population. Over dramatic. China nor Russia is NOT going to war with Japan anytime soon. If anything Japan should protect their nuclear plants from getting a shelling and including MT Fuji as well as helping the fight this bad inflation with the food price hikes.

@Wil

Some good points there. But the US Marine Corps, the gold standard of amphibious forces, retired their last tank 2 years ago in preference of a lighter, more mobile force with less logistic requirements, and opted for more asymmetric means (ie: dude in the bushes with a Javelin) to take out tanks.

Many tanker Marines couldn’t stand being “degraded” in their eyes to LAR infantry, or AAVs so they lateral slid into the Army tankers or straight up quit.

Japan ....the 51st state !...................of america LOL.

Sweet deal for defense contractors. Japan won’t be using them for there won’t be war in Asia and it’s just a part of the sales pitch. Japanese taxpayers help support the US economy. Be nice to Japan.

It's not a bad idea to have some deterrence. That should scare Kim in DPRK. Short, medium or long-term Japan is not going to win an arms race with China. Actually, I'm looking forward to the peace race as the 3 East Asian countries of Japan, South Korea and China find common ground and invest in the people's livelihoods. Ideally North Koreans will be liberated soon.

The headline should read "by 2027" in English, not "until 2027". Japanese articles say "までに", which means "by".

I believe “until” meaning after 2027 they plan to use their own and don’t plan to buy any more, is correct.

The government is considering the purchase to swiftly enhance its deterrent capability until it can begin operating homemade "standoff missiles," capable of launching outside the threat range of enemies, the source said.

English is not my mother tongue but this is the same “until” as in I’ll wait until 19:00 then if you don’t come by then, I’m going home. It wouldn’t make sense if you said “I’ll wait by 19:00.”

政府が、米国製の巡航ミサイル「トマホーク」を巡り、2027年度までをめどに米側から最大で500発程度購入する検討に入ったことが分かった。岸田政権が保有を目指す反撃能力（敵基地攻撃能力）への転用を想定する。敵の射程圏外から攻撃可能な国産の「スタンド・オフ・ミサイル」の運用開始まで一定の時間がかかる見通しのため、早期の抑止力強化策として米国製の活用を図る。政府関係者が30日、明らかにした。

I looked it up and per Yahoo News it is just まで and not までに.

Japan is an island. If an aggressor nation has already landed, the war will be over shortly. 

You are absolutely correct, but its military "Whataboutism" that drives these purchases. Being prepared for every scenario. Of course a war won't be won or lost because of these missiles, it just lets those involved sleep at night knowing they have all their bases covered.

Better foreign policy (from George Washington 1796). —

“Observe good faith and justice towards all nations; cultivate peace and harmony with all…

In the execution of such a plan nothing is more essential than that permanent, inveterate antipathies against particular nations and passionate attachments for others should be excluded, and that in place of them just and amicable feelings toward all should be cultivated. The nation which indulges toward another an habitual hatred or an habitual fondness is in some degree a slave. It is a slave to its animosity or to its affection, either of which is sufficient to lead it astray from its duty and its interest. Antipathy in one nation against another disposes each more readily to offer insult and injury, to lay hold of slight causes of umbrage, and to be haughty and intractable when accidental or trifling occasions of dispute occur.

Hence frequent collisions, obstinate, envenomed, and bloody contests. The nation prompted by ill will and resentment sometimes impels to war the government contrary to the best calculations of policy. The government sometimes participates in the national propensity, and adopts through passion what reason would reject. At other times it makes the animosity of the nation subservient to projects of hostility, instigated by pride, ambition, and other sinister and pernicious motives. The peace often, sometimes perhaps the liberty, of nations has been the victim.

So, likewise, a passionate attachment of one nation for another produces a variety of evils. Sympathy for the favorite nation, facilitating the illusion of an imaginary common interest in cases where no real common interest exists, and infusing into one the enmities of the other, betrays the former into a participation in the quarrels and wars of the latter without adequate inducement or justification.

It leads also to concessions to the favorite nation of privileges denied to others, which is apt doubly to injure the nation making the concessions by unnecessarily parting with what ought to have been retained, and by exciting jealousy, ill will, and a disposition to retaliate in the parties from whom equal privileges are withheld; and it gives to ambitious, corrupted, or deluded citizens (who devote themselves to the favorite nation) facility to betray or sacrifice the interests of their own country without odium, sometimes even with popularity, gilding with the appearances of a virtuous sense of obligation, a commendable deference for public opinion, or a laudable zeal for public good the base or foolish compliances of ambition, corruption, or infatuation.

As avenues to foreign influence in innumerable ways, such attachments are particularly

alarming to the truly enlightened and independent patriot. How many opportunities do they afford to tamper with domestic factions, to practice the arts of seduction, to mislead public opinion, to influence or awe the public councils! Such an attachment of a small or weak toward a great and powerful nation dooms the former to be the satellite of the latter. Against the insidious wiles of foreign influence (I conjure you to believe me, fellow-citizens) the jealousy of a free people ought to be constantly awake, since history and experience prove that foreign influence is one of the most baneful foes of republican government. But that jealousy, to be useful, must be impartial, else it becomes the instrument of the very influence to be avoided, instead of a defense against it. Excessive partiality for one foreign nation and excessive dislike of another cause those whom they actuate to see danger only on one side, and serve to veil and even second the arts of influence on the other. Real patriots who may resist the intrigues of the favorite are liable to become suspected and odious, while its tools and dupes usurp the applause and confidence of the people to surrender their interests.”

Some good points there. But the US Marine Corps, the gold standard of amphibious forces, retired their last tank 2 years ago in preference of a lighter, more mobile force with less logistic requirements, and opted for more asymmetric means (ie: dude in the bushes with a Javelin) to take out tanks.

For ground warfare there is no replacement for armor, infantry, artillery and airpower (helicopters and fixed wing) working in unison, combined arms. The coalition could not have defeated Iraq in 100 hours during Desert Storm without all that armor and the attack helicopters that led the attack. In a ground war in Europe fast, accurate, fire on the run western armor working closely with helicopters will be vital. Likewise for urban warfare if used intelligently with infantry support and good ISR (drones and high flying surveillance aircraft)

What the Marines are doing is creating a new mission for themselves as a sort of naval force. They were uncomfortable being used as a second army for the last 75 years. Just another Army. The Marines don't fear much except being absorbed into the Army by a Congress that things the Marines are no different than the Army.

The Marines new vision for themselves is a light force that can be deplpyed from smaller ships that look commercial so they blend in with merchant traffic making them hard for an enemy to target, land on small island with a force of maybe 75 Marines equipped with robotic trucks carrying anti-ship missiles including the latest versions of Tomahawk, coordinate with allied naval forces to attack enemy naval forces hammer and anvil style, then quickly depart after the battle before the enemy can target them for a counterstrike.

Alternatively they can set up quickly with their missiles on islands to ambush an enemy naval force passing through the straits between these islands. To that end the Marines have dumpd their armor and much of their conventional tube artillery in favor of more HIMARS (there are new rockets being tested for HIMARS and the Armys larger MLRS that have the ability to target moving ships), the Norwegian JSM and Tomahawk.

Presumably the JGSDF would use the ground launched version of Tomahawk used by the Marines and US Army, probably on a Japanese built truck.

You are absolutely correct, but its military "Whataboutism" that drives these purchases. Being prepared for every scenario. 

That is not how it works. There is a lot of high fidelity simulation, computer war games if you will, but informed by information not available except in highly classified environments, where scenarios are tested. You rate what nations are your most likely adversaries and then explore what they can do to you, and what combination of weapons that are realistically affordable that can defend your nation successfully. No military can plan for every outcome so you make choices about what are thought to be the most likely reasons for going to war and what the enemy would do to attack you. You will have some knowledge of how they train and what their exercises look like. Often nations telegraph their intentions with exercises that look very much like an invasion of you or an ally. Knowing how your enemy intends to fight, you devise ways to counter their tactics.

There is nothing new about attacking an enemies bases. If all you can do is counter their attacks you can never prevail. You have to do material damage to your enemy to win. Attacking their bases makes it harder to attack you, depletes their stocks of weapons and destroys expensive assets like ships and aircraft. Again, this is nothing new in warfare. The decision required is how to achieve this. Tomahawk is relatively cheap for what it can do, and is extremely effective. There have been lots of studies and proposals to replace Tomahawk but when all is said and done, the alternatives do not offer more combat capability but tend to cost a whole lot more. You can see the US Navy and Air Force tested some ramjet screamers back in the 1970s, things like ALVRJ and ASALMS, but when it came time to spend money on a weapon they went with Tomahawk and AGM-86, two subsonic but low flying hard to find missiles instead of the eye-watering screamers.

@Desert Tortoise

Thank you for explaining the concept of EABO. One which the Marines, for better or worse, are bargaining their future legitimacy on.

While I agree with your points on combined arms in ground warfare, the last great tank battle was the Battle of 72 Easting, and the terrain and conditions of that could never be replicated in an invasion situation of Japan.

Combined arms is the rule of ground warfare, but it also depends on what “arms” you are combining. In the case of Japan, given the terrain, while tanks certainly do have a role, I would say it would be second-place to light IFVs and man-portable GATMs.

**73 Easting

stupid fat thumbs…

As noted above the funding of arms acquirement means higher taxes and less support for families, so it's no wonder the rapidly greying population of Japan is in decline.

Also as noted above, this just continues the cycle of arms escalation in the region, is it any wonder that China and NK continue to beef up their defenses?

All of which lays bare the true motives and concerns of the LDP, as well as who has controlling influence over it.

Like the mafia..."I have got this....you buy it!"

Kishida plans to declare the acquisition of a "counterstrike capability" in its National Security Strategy

If I didn't knew better, I would call Kishida a very dangerous person, and be very worried about a fleet hoisting the imperial flag armed with Tomahawk missiles. Except, this has nothing to do with armed conflicts, or national security. It is just another means to direct our tax money to US (and undoubtedly the pockets of some politicians).

All of which lays bare the true motives and concerns of the LDP, as well as who has controlling influence over it.

The US is in control of the LDP and Japan. Need to hit readers over the head.

After the UK, Japan must be the US' favorite satrapy.

As a taxpayer in Japan, I am sad and angry in equal measures.

Hiro

I have no issue if the jsdf want to develop their own defense system, but relying and buying from a outside source is never the solution.

It was a basic Japanese defense policy until very recently not to have any capability to strike foreign teritories due to the Article 9 of the Constitution. Unfortunately that is about to change due to China’s expansionism and N Korea’s nuclear ambition (as well as Russia's invasion of Ukraine). Japan is now considering a plan to develop her own weapons to strike enemy base. An idea of buying missiles from an outside source is a stop gap.

The article says:

*The government is considering the purchase to swiftly enhance its deterrent capability until it can begin operating homemade "standoff missiles," capable of launching outside the threat range of enemies, the source said.*

DT, Japanese do not have the technical knowledge to even know the basis of how to operate a Tomahawk,you got to have mapping service,using Tercom and Dsmac,a layout of the terrain,beside it take an hour over water to even hit Japan enemies

Victor:

As a taxpayer in Japan, I am sad and angry in equal measures.

I am happy as a tax payer to see Japan finally realized an urgent need for a strong defence. I will NEVER be happy to see Japan under China or Russian rules. Take my money already and spend more for Japan's defence.

While I agree with your points on combined arms in ground warfare, the last great tank battle was the Battle of 72 Easting, and the terrain and conditions of that could never be replicated in an invasion situation of Japan.

The biggest armored battles in history were fought in Iraq in 1991. That was the epitome of modern armored warfare. The speed of western tanks, an M-1 Abrams on flat terrain can approach 110-120 kmh. The ability to shoot accurately at distances beyond 1700 meters while driving flat out across the desert was critical in Iraq's defeat. The Russians an in particular the Chinese were stunned by the speed and effectiveness of western armor. The Iraqi Army was armed and organized much like the Soviet and Chinese armies. Many wags thought the Iraqis could even defeat coalition forces. To see western armor roll over them in 100 hours, smoking hulks of T-72s strewn across the desert with no losses of western tanks, left a lot of Russian and Chinese jaws wide open in amazement. The accuracy of western precision guided weapons also stunned them. Remember "the world's luckiest man" video? Dude speeding across a bridge as a bomb takes the bridge out.

DT, Japanese do not have the technical knowledge to even know the basis of how to operate a Tomahawk,you got to have mapping service,using Tercom and Dsmac,a layout of the terrain,beside it take an hour over water to even hit Japan enemies

From experience the members of the JSDF are not dummies. They can handle it. The US would likely provide the TERCOM data and route planning. Australia is apparently buying Tomahawks and the Royal Navy has had them on their submarines for a very long time. Storm Shadow also supposedly uses TERCOM.

From what I have seen in the defense press the land based version uses the exact same canister used in the Mk-41 VLS (the VLS system on American and Japanese warships) mounted to either an unmanned autonomous truck chassis (Marines) or mounted on a semi-trailer pulled by something like a HEMTT. I suspect the Japanese will use a domestically built truck much the way the Germans mount their Patriot batteries on domestically built trucks. Other than that it will be the same thing the US Marines or Army uses with their support right there. The US versions are headed to Asia Pacific next year.

The US is in control of the LDP and Japan. Need to hit readers over the head.

Silly comment and not even a little bit true. If the US really controlled the LDP and Japan, Japanese schools would teach their pupils the truth about Japanese imperial barbarities in Korea, China and WWII instead of the falsehoods that are currently taught. Likewise the Japanese legal system would be very different that what it is today. But the US does not control the LDP or Japan, does it. Not even a little. Japan aligns itself with the US and the west because it is in a rough neighborhood faced with enemies that, without allies like the US willing to shed blood and treasure to protect it, would have conquered and subjugated Japan decades ago. Japan and the US have the same enemies so it makes sense for both nations to be allies.

Cool

@Hiro If you consider the missile to be crap why don't you lobby to your diet to ask them to buy missiles from NK or Russia they would be happy to sell them crap. Its not because there cannot be any peace, Japan is buying them to keep peace. Its either you eat or starve or stay scared. Japan doesn't have to buy them they can easily say no so why are you pointing fingers at the US. If Japan could make them then I am sure they would have made them within Japan, you get what you pay for. LMFAO Japan is not relying on the US what they are relying on in this case is a Missile with great reliability to do what it is designed to do. Japan doesn't have to go to the US as an outside source. If the people of Japan can design, build,,manufacture and test what they need to defend the citizens of Japan then good for Japan. If not pay for what you want, if not stay on alert! Don't hate on what your country have to pay for be happy they can defend you when needed.

Is this kind of moves that is the reason why there cannot be any peace in our region and why the US love creating tension and conflicts for us. Hoping we buy their overpriced crap. I have no issue if the jsdf want to develop their own defense system, but relying and buying from a outside source is never the solution.

@Hiro I totally agree but its the JP GOVERNMENT that made the decision it was their choice. If we have it and Japan wants to buy it then you are going to get it at a price with your specification. If you are not an engineer and you are not in the business of knowing how this is done besides complaining it won't help. I know, I do this work everyday. Hint GO Raider 21!

@Samit Basu, nothing is ever beyond the means. If there is a demand in the market, there will always be responders who will answer. If half left, there is still the other half available. Or newcomers. All the things you mention is basically just excuses. We have seen countless events were critics claim it can never be done etc but in the end were proven wrong. Is only impossible because you don't dare to take the first step. The problem is also the govenrment who refuse to make more flexible policies to support it.

These missile are useless,they take an hour and fifteen to reach NK,when NK missiles take 5 minutes

These missile are useless,they take an hour and fifteen to reach NK,when NK missiles take 5 minutes

If they are useless, why would they be buying them?

I'd place more stock in the opinions of the people spending the money, than an anonymous person on the internet.

These missile are useless,they take an hour and fifteen to reach NK,when NK missiles take 5 minutes

Probably has to do with a combination of destructive power, being very hard to detect and shoot down since they fly very low to the surface and compared to ballistic missiles, low cost. Numbers, salvo size, matters. If a weapon is cheaper you can afford more of them. If it is harder to detect and engage, more are going to hit their targets.

@Desert Tortoise

Indeed, the CENTCOM region had the terrain and players for the biggest tank battles in recent history, as they also staged some the largest scale cavalry battles in ancient history.

Although I was a young teenager at the time, I do remember the “lucky dude on the bridge” video, and also the Highway of Death FLIR videos very well.

In Iraq war part2, tanks played a smaller role, but 2d tanks did do some pretty innovative maneuvers, improvising the use of tanks in close quarters and literally shooting point blank into IED factory windows and clearing routes in force and such.

Good call!

"Walk softly, but carry a big stick."

Good call!

"Walk softly, but carry a big stick."

Basically just that Joe, these days people love to go off the rails on basic common sense.

Russia's unprovoked and insane invasion of Ukraine demonstrates that Russia's neighbors have to be prepared to defend themselves, including with arming with cruise missiles.