The Japanese Kongo-class Aegis destroyer JS Chokai will undergo modifications in the USA to allow it to fire Tomahawk cruise missiles. (JMSDF)
Current and future Aegis destroyers from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) and Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) are set to advance with a series of milestones achieved this month.
The JMSDF’s JS Chokai, a Kongo-class Aegis destroyer, departed Yokosuka Naval Base on 26 September to head for San Diego in the USA, where it will undergo a yearlong retrofit and training programme to enable the warship to fire Tomahawk cruise missiles.
Although personnel training began in March, this marks the first time that JMSDF ships will be modified to carry Tomahawk missiles. It will also see a test firing of the new stand-off-weapon capability in the summer of 2026, according to Japan’s MoD.
Japan procured 400 Tomahawk Block IV and Block V missiles in 2024, accelerating deliveries that are due to run from Fiscal Year 2025-27 amidst the country’s heightened security posture.
In addition to JS Chokai, seven other operational Japanese Aegis destroyers and two new Aegis System Equipped Vessels (ASEV) are expected to gain this Tomahawk capability. This makes Japan the second country in the Asia-Pacific region to field the US-manufactured weapon, the first being Australia.
At the same time, Lockheed Martin, the Japanese MoD and the US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) have begun land-based testing of Japan’s first SPY-7 Aegis radar system. The radar system will eventually be installed on the ASEVs.
Meanwhile, across the Sea of Japan, South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration announced completion of the Korean Vertical Launching System-II (KVLS-II) by Hanwha Aerospace.
Branded with the slogan “any cell, any missile”, the KVLS-II features larger cells to accommodate domestically developed anti-ship, land-attack and surface-to-air missiles, although it is unclear whether the system can integrate US-made weapons.
The new KVLS-II cells will be fitted into the new KDX-III Batch II Jeongjo the Great-class Aegis destroyers, as well as the forthcoming KDDX destroyer programme for the ROKN.
Chen Chuanren
AloJapan.com