The Japanese government has announced plans to equip the Maritime Self-Defense Force’s (MSDF) Aegis destroyer, JS Chōkai, with the capability to launch U.S.-made Tomahawk cruise missiles.
JS Chōkai will be the first Aegis destroyer in Japan to have a long range strike capability.
The Japanese Defence Ministry has requested $12.3 million for this plan as part of its fiscal 2025 budget.
In January 2024, Japan signed a contract to purchase up to 400 Tomahawk missiles, which reflects concerns over security threats from regional powers such as China and North Korea.
The Tomahawk missiles, including Block IV and Block V variants, have a range of approximately 1,600 kilometres and can be launched from warships. The deployment of these missiles is now expected to begin in fiscal year 2025, which is one year earlier than initially planned.
The refurbishment of JS Chōkai is scheduled to include the capability to launch Tomahawk missiles, with completion expected by March 2026.
JS Chōkai is a Kongō-class destroyer with a standard displacement of 7,500 tons, which increases to 9,500 tons when fully loaded. The ship measures 528.2 feet (161.0 metres) in length and has a beam of 68.9 feet (21.0 metres) and a draft of 20.3 feet (6.2 metres). Propelled by four gas turbines, the destroyer can reach speeds of up to 30 knots (56 km/h) and has a range of 4,500 nautical miles at 20 knots (8,334 km at 37 km/h).
The ship is equipped with a range of advanced sensors and weapons systems, including the AN/SPY-1D radar, a 90-cell Mk. 41 Vertical Launching System for various missile types, and a 127 mm Oto Melara Compact Gun. Additionally, JS Chōkai can carry one SH-60K helicopter and is designed to accommodate a complement of 300 personnel.
Japan intends to eventually equip all eight Aegis destroyers stationed at the MSDF’s Yokosuka, Maizuru, and Sasebo bases with Tomahawk missiles.
And it’s time we did the same BUT….
Why?
Land attack is better done by submarine, which can get closer to shore without being spotted, leaving the escorts to do their main job of escorting ships.
Also we only have around 50 odd tomahawk, which the subs would get through fast in a war situation.
Budgets are limited, no point fitting escorts with a capability if there isn’t enough missiles to actually utilise it when needed.
It takes subs away from carrier escort or hunting other subs though and carrying TLAM eats up valuable magazine space. It’s not like we have many attack boats either
In reality the T31 would be a great hull to fill with tomahawks as it’s not got a specific specialist function within the fleet..maybe it could specialise in intimidating land attack capabilities…..
If it was going to be used for land attack it would need a proper main gun to allow shore bombardment but it isn’t getting one. It’s role if such a role exists in a war is low threat escort.
NGFS and the almost strategic threat that tomahawk represent are to completely different roles and having nothing to do with each other…NGFS is part of an amphibious support role..tomahawk is about threat at a geostrategic level…do something I don’t like and I will destroy something significant to your nation… T31 is not a low threat warship…its 6000 tons, it’s going to have a large number of type 41 strike length silos, one of the best anti air gun fits of any escorts and CAMM a very good short range area defence missile….it’s a potent surface combatant and will be used… Read more »
The t31 doesn’t have the missiles tube numbers to operate in a high threat environment, it would be very quickly saturated and sunk.
Time will tell what goes into them mk41 tubes, but I suspect nothing initially as there is no budget for it and no budget means it won’t happen in the current budgeting cycle.
We don’t know the numbers but it will probably have more than most of the FREMMs at 16 silos and they are high end warships…they are not going to purchase and fit strike length silos and not put anything in them.
This is fair although I suspect the FREMM nations are probably looking at options as 16 is woefully insufficient in the era of drones and cheap ish anti ship missiles.
It’ll be interesting to see if they do a mk41 and CAMM farm combo or just 4 MK41s on the T31s. Their forward 40mm position looks like it could take 2 MK41s or even a teduced CAMM farm.
A gun with Vulcano rounds can fire to 100km, so it is not only NGFS
Can’t see a reason not to do it. Every ships should carry what can be sensibly fitted. T26 has the silos’ so should carry TLAM. T31 I’m not sure .
land attack should not be made by SSN’s.
Firing a missile says where the sub is automatically. The main function of a SSN is to destroy enemy submarines and surface ships.
Tells you where a the sub was not where it is. Plus it’s a whole lot harder to do a counter fire attack against a sub under water than it is a ship on it.
But fair subs should be countering other subs but we don’t have enough of anything. Ideally you would have enough subs for both roles.
We don’t have any mk41 silos to put them in at present. It would not surprise me at all if the RN did not infact make a modest tomahawk purchase when we have a type 26 and T31 to put them in.
What about ship launched FC/ASW?
The subsonic is reported to be aiming for significantly improved range over Storm Shadow and will be around by the time all of the new frigates are in service.
Yeah if FCAS has a Cruise Function I doubt we’ll be seeing more Tomahawks being purchased (and I’d argue against it, FCAS money stays on this side of the pond).
At the end of the day it’s still a missile in the concept phase, with no design contract signed off.so I would say 2028 to 2030 is very soft..if it slips a couple of years or so the RN could have MK41 silos in commission for 6 years before a long range land attack missile is ready. As the highest risk with china is 2027 to 2034 there could be a place for tomahawk in those years…not having a capability for 2027/28 is not such a good move geostrategicly.
I agree. In the order fo things TLAM is inexpensive and should be fitted asap.
You mean besides NSM?
Different beasts with a completely different range…tomahawks have the range to pretty much hold anything at risk..NSM far less so..it’s very useful and a whole heap better than nothing but it’s still very range limited.
Well it’s a weapons programme that has not yet produced a weapon.so I’m always a bit cagey about in service dates. At present it has still not moved out of concept phase..and having a work share debat, between France, UK and Italy…so 2028 to 2030 I would say is very very soft…I could see it running out to 2034 at which point we have a potential 6-7 year gap between the RN having mk41 launchers and a long range land attack missile…a modest buy of tomahawk would fit the bill to cover that especially as we know the highest risk… Read more »
If the lid suddenly flips a Tomahawk purchase will be the only choice. Same done by the Netherlands, Australia, and Japan. No naval launch Storm Shadow option unless that’s the latest subsonic FC/ASW in the works?
Fair comment. I was looking at the T26 really. Hoopefully they should be fitted as a matter of course.
Yeah we should.
👍
Wise decision by Japanese government 🇯🇵 👍
china has the biggest stock of any nation of theatre ballistic missiles, in any China japan war, Japan will be smashed with a day one missile bombardment…having the ability to smash back is a good idea.
Sorry to be greedy but MK41s could be added into the T45s with the space for two already there. Would be good for a lot of additional missiles especially if T45s operate in isolation as well as in a group and still have 15 years of service life left.
Yeah they really should be fitted. I think they would be more useful in future combat than the gym area.
Won’t argue with that mate 👍