The United States will deploy medium-range missile systems in Japan to enhance deterrence against the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). This marks the first time the US has deployed medium-range missiles in Japan since its withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in 2019.
According to a report by Nikkei Asia on Saturday, the US military will deploy the Typhon medium-range missile system to Japan next week and in September for joint exercises. These launchers will remain in Japan, seen as a move by the US to strengthen its involvement in deterrence actions against the CCP.
The US will send an undisclosed number of land-based Typhon missile systems (capable of launching Tomahawk cruise missiles) to participate in the Valiant Shield joint exercise starting on Monday, September 22. These missile systems will be deployed at the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s Kadena Air Base in southern Kagoshima Prefecture.
The Typhon missile system is also planned to participate in the Orient Shield joint exercise in September. It is expected that around mid-October, these missile systems will be transferred to US military bases in Japan.
A senior official from the Japan Self-Defense Forces explained that the deployed launchers cannot be immediately relocated. A Japanese government official stated, “Nevertheless, storing these missiles in Japan means they can be deployed when necessary, serving as a deterrent against Beijing.”
In May, the US military test-fired a Tomahawk missile in the Philippines, launched by the Typhon missile defense system, hitting a target 600 kilometers away. The Typhon system was deployed to the Philippines in 2024 for joint military exercises and has since remained stationed there.
The maximum range of the Tomahawk missile is 1600 kilometers, meaning it can reach targets within mainland China if launched from Kadena Air Base.
In 2025, the US first deployed the Typhon system to the US Marine Corps Air Base in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, prompting a protest from Beijing.
This is the first time the US has deployed medium-range missiles in Japan since its withdrawal from the INF Treaty with the former Soviet Union/Russia in 2019.
Under the INF Treaty signed with the Soviet Union at the time, Washington had long been prohibited from deploying missiles with ranges between 500 and 5500 kilometers.
However, Beijing is not bound by this treaty and has significantly increased its missile stockpile. According to US military estimates, by 2025, the CCP is projected to possess 1850 missiles with ranges between 1000 and 5500 kilometers. China has surpassed the US in the quantity of land-based intermediate-range ballistic and cruise missiles.