The Japanese destroyer JS Chokai has departed Yokosuka Naval Base for San Diego on a yearlong deployment to train its crew in Tomahawk cruise missile operations and undergo modifications to launch the U.S.-made weapons, Japan’s Ministry of Defense (MOD) said.
The Kongo-class Aegis destroyer, which will be the first Japanese warship converted for Tomahawk use, left Yokosuka Naval Base on Friday after conducting Tomahawk loading drills with dummy rounds under U.S. Navy supervision.
#JS_CHOKAI departed Japan today for #SanDiegoto undergo upgrades and training for stand-off defense capabilities—the first of its kind for #JMSDF. Strengthening deterrence and response under the strong Japan-U.S. alliance. #Tomahawk #FOIP #FreeandOpenIndoPacific
— 防衛省 海上自衛隊 (@JMSDF_PAO) September 26, 2025
“With support from the U.S. Navy, the vessel will undergo modifications and crew training, with the goal of acquiring Tomahawk launch capability during [fiscal year] 2025,” Japan’s MOD said. “By around the summer of 2026, live-fire tests and other exercises will be conducted to verify crew proficiency and ensure the ship’s readiness for actual missions.”
Japan said it also plans to procure Tomahawk missiles between 2025 and 2027.
The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force reportedly plans to equip all eight of its Aegis destroyers, along with two new Aegis System Equipped Vessels under construction, with Tomahawk missiles.
“The Ministry of Defense views the dispatch to the United States and the training as evidence of steady progress in the Tomahawk program and will continue efforts to rapidly build stand-off defense capabilities,” Japan’s MOD said.
The Tomahawk, a subsonic cruise missile with a range of about 1,000 miles, has been a mainstay of U.S. Navy strike operations for decades. The latest versions can hit both land and moving maritime targets.
Neither China’s Foreign Ministry nor North Korea’s embassy in Beijing immediately commented on Chokai’s deployment.
