Why is Japan accelerating its purchase of Tomahawk missiles?

Tokyo [Japan], October 5: Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said the country will begin purchasing Tomahawk cruise missiles from the US in fiscal year 2025, one year earlier than initially expected.
Mr. Kihara made the above Tomahawk missile purchase announcement in Washington DC on October 4, after having the first direct talks with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin since he took the position of Japanese Defense Minister after the war. Cabinet reshuffle in September, according to Kyodo News. Mr. Kihara arrived in Washington DC on October 3 for a three-day visit.
US and Japanese officials said that in the face of new security challenges posed by China, North Korea and Russia, Ministers Kihara and Austin confirmed their common interest in strengthening deterrence capabilities. threats and responses of the Japan-US alliance while modernizing the roles and tasks of the two countries.
In order to strengthen defense capabilities, Japan plans to buy 400 Tomahawk missiles, with an attack range of about 1,600 km. The original plan was to deploy Tomahawk missiles in fiscal year 2026, starting in April 2026.
However, Ministers Kihara and Austin "jointly confirmed" that the purchase of Tomahawk Block-4 missiles will begin in fiscal 2025, according to an official. This official also noted that the Tomahawk sale still needs to be approved by the US Congress.
Initially, Japan planned to buy the latest Tomahawk Block-5 missiles in fiscal years 2026 and 2027 to install them on Aegis destroyers of the Maritime Self-Defense Force.
According to the above official, of the 400 Tomahawks, Japan currently plans to buy up to 200 Block-4 Tomahawks starting from fiscal year 2025.
The Tomahawk, first used in the 1991 Gulf War, can cover China's coastal areas and is considered necessary by Japanese officials to bolster Tokyo's defenses until it can produce domestic cruise missiles.
During the nearly hour-long meeting mentioned above, Ministers Kihara and Austin discussed the priorities of Japanese and American forces in the coming years, including how best to maintain an Indian Ocean region. -The Pacific is based on rules, freedom and openness.
Minister Kihara emphasized that Japan and the US need to "strengthen the alliance's ability to prevent and respond" to any attempt to change the status quo by force, which cannot be tolerated in any region. , including the Indo-Pacific, according to Kyodo News.
Source: ThanhNien Newspaper