As part of a swift military buildup, Japan plans to place bulk orders for Tomahawk cruise missiles from the US by March of next year, according to Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada.
According to Hamada at a routine news briefing, Japan hopes to sign a contract for the purchase of Raytheon Technologies Corp (RTX.N) Tomahawks during the upcoming fiscal year, which starts on April 1.
As part of its largest military build-up since World War Two, Japan’s latest defence budget, which will increase by a quarter from last year, includes $1.6 billion to purchase the cruise missiles. The government has not specified the exact number it will purchase, but according to local media, it may want as many as 500.
Japan wants to use the cruise missile to equip its military with the ability to attack targets far away from the country in order to dissuade potential enemies like China from attacking. The weapon’s ship-launched variant, with a range of more than 1,000 kilometres, would be able to reach targets inside of China.
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