The U.S. military is deploying some of its most advanced missile systems to Japan for joint training this month, a first-of-its-kind move that underscores both nations' deepening concern over China's growing military power.
The Typhon midrange missile system and the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System, or NMESIS, will participate in the Resolute Dragon exercises held Sept. 11-25 with Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force in Okinawa Prefecture and other locations, The Japan Times reported Wednesday.
The drills, which simulate retaking remote islands, are expected to mark a significant step in U.S.-Japan cooperation and come amid Tokyo's own push to field longer-range strike weapons.
Japan avoided hosting such systems for decades under its "exclusively defense-oriented policy." That stance shifted with Tokyo's 2022 National Security Strategy, which called for counterstrike capabilities, higher defense spending, and stronger alliances to counter what it labeled an "unprecedented" challenge from China.
"The introduction of the Typhon and NMESIS systems into the Resolute Dragon exercise is yet another sign that Japan is responding to changes in the country's security environment," said Naoko Aoki, a Japan expert at the Rand Corp. "China's increasing military activities and the possibility it could use force to change the status quo are major reasons why Japan is taking these steps."
The deployments highlight a growing imbalance following the 2019 collapse of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty between Washington and Moscow.
Beijing, which was not part of the pact, moved ahead with a massive arms buildup. According to the Pentagon, China has an estimated 1,800 medium- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles and 400 ground-launched cruise missiles, many of which could be used against U.S. and Japanese bases in the region.
Chinese forces paraded several of these weapons in Beijing last week while marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
Washington, meanwhile, is developing new land-based missile systems to counter the Chinese buildup.
The Typhon and NMESIS have already been deployed to the Philippines and Australia. While officially temporary, some of those systems remain in place, fueling speculation about whether Japan might follow suit.
China has spoken out over the Typhon's arrival at a U.S. Marine base in Yamaguchi Prefecture, calling it a "substantive threat" to regional stability. The system can launch Tomahawk cruise missiles, with a range of 1,600 kilometers (994 miles), and SM-6 interceptors, which can reach 240 kilometers (149 miles).
NMESIS, which fires Naval Strike Missiles from a remote-controlled vehicle, is designed to quickly sink enemy warships and complicate Chinese planning for a Taiwan conflict.
The Pentagon is also planning to send a Multi-Domain Task Force to Japan, raising the prospect of a longer-term presence and integrating missile operations with U.S. Army Japan headquarters.
At the same time, Tokyo is fielding its own weapons once considered taboo. Upgraded Type-12 ground-launched missiles with ranges of up to 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) will be part of this month's drills. Japan announced last month it would deploy those longer-range missiles to a base in Kumamoto Prefecture in March, with additional deployments in Shizuoka by 2027. Ship- and air-launched versions are also planned by then.
The steps follow Chinese military activities around Japan, including an unprecedented incursion of a Chinese aircraft into Japanese airspace last year and carrier operations near Japanese waters.
By gradually introducing missile systems in joint drills, Washington hopes to accustom a traditionally wary Japanese public to their presence.
"Without public consent, it would be difficult to place systems permanently in Japan, even when it is legally possible," Aoki said.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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