US Deploys Typhon Missiles to Japan, Putting China, Russia, and North Korea in Range — UNITED24 Media

The United States has stationed its Typhon surface-to-surface missile system at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Japan, marking the system’s first permanent deployment on Japanese territory.

The move coincides with the start of Resolute Dragon 2025, a joint US-Japan military exercise scheduled from September 11 to 25, and is part of a broader strategy to enhance integrated strike capabilities across the Indo-Pacific region.

According to Army Recognition on August 30, the Typhon system—also known as the Strategic Mid-Range Fires system—is capable of launching SM-6 and Tomahawk cruise missiles. The SM-6 has a range exceeding 320 kilometers, while the Tomahawk offers strike capabilities up to 1,500 kilometers.

The system is road-mobile, containerized, and designed for survivability, allowing for rapid deployment and precision targeting in contested environments. Its dual-use design supports both maritime interdiction and land-attack missions.

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From an operational perspective, Typhon’s presence at Iwakuni introduces new considerations for China, Russia, and North Korea. For China, the system places key naval facilities and coastal assets within range of US precision fires, complicating military planning in the East China Sea and around Taiwan.

For Russia, the deployment underscores increased US presence near the Russian Far East, where Moscow maintains logistical and naval infrastructure. Typhon enables extended strike coverage over Russian military assets in the Sea of Okhotsk and adds to NATO-aligned deterrence options in the Pacific theater.

In the case of North Korea, the Tomahawk’s range from Iwakuni covers significant portions of the country’s military infrastructure, including command nodes and artillery emplacements.

The system’s rapid deployment and reduced detection profile enhance the credibility of preemptive or retaliatory strike options, complementing existing missile defense systems based in South Korea and Japan.

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The system is being integrated into Resolute Dragon 2025, involving over 12,000 Japanese troops and approximately 1,900 US personnel. Exercises will focus on joint operations across multiple domains, with Typhon playing a central role in command-and-control and sensor-to-shooter training.

Strategically, the positioning of Typhon in Japan closes a critical gap in US land-based strike coverage in the Indo-Pacific. It enables persistent pressure on adversarial naval operations, supports allied defense doctrines, and strengthens bilateral coordination with Japan.

Earlier, on July 14, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius confirmed that Germany had requested US-made Typhon missile systems capable of striking targets up to 2,500 kilometers away—including Moscow—stressing the system would be used solely for defensive purposes.

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