Japan launched a nationwide security strategy, announcing its intention to purchase preemptive attack potential and cruise missiles within the next few years in order to bolster its offensive capabilities against threats posed by China and North Korea. This represented a significant departure from Japan’s postwar principle of relying solely on itself for self-defense, which had persisted since the end of World War II.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stated at a news conference on December 16 that the ability to retaliate against an aggressor was “essential” and a “significant shift in Japan’s postwar security policy.”
This is a reversal of the Japanese government’s position from 1956, when it formally acknowledged the concept of a counterattack only as a constitutional last resort.
The powerful, long-range Tomahawk missile, favored by the U.S. and U.K. navy, will not be deployed in Japan until at least 2026, despite the approval of two defense strategy documents by Kishida’s Cabinet.
While Lockheed Martin’s Tomahawk and the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile are examples of foreign-developed standoff missiles that Japan plans to deploy as early as 2026, Mitsubishi Heavy Industry is developing the domestic surface-to-ship guided missile. Multiple units of long-range missiles will be stationed in undisclosed locations to enable Japan to respond swiftly to any potential attacks.