The Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF) has confirmed that modifications have been completed to enable one of its ships to employ RGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missiles.
The integration work on the Kongo-class guided-missile destroyer JS Chokai began in October 2025 and was carried out at the US Naval Surface Force Pacific's headquarters in Coronado, California. The integration also entailed crew training.
The destroyer can now fire the land attack variant of the Tomahawk, 400 examples of which were purchased by Japan from the United States in 2024 under a US$1.7 billion government-to-government contract.
Deliveries of the missiles, which include 200 Block IV and 200 Block V examples capable of striking targets more than1,000 kilometres away, began in 2025 and will conclude in 2027.
The JMSDF will also integrate Tomahawk launch capability into its Atago-class and Maya-class guided-missile destroyers.
"By around this summer, through live-fire drills and other tests, Chokai will attain its full operational capability," the Japanese Ministry of Defence said in a social media post.