To counterbalance China, Japan and the United States will, for the first time, deploy and train with the Typhon mid-range missile system on Japanese soil.
According to Japan’s Kyodo News Agency, multiple Japanese and American sources revealed on the 27th that, during the large-scale joint training exercise "Resolute Dragon" to be held by the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force and the U.S. Marine Corps in September, a deployment drill for the Typhon system will be conducted at the U.S. Marine Corps Iwakuni Air Base in Yamaguchi Prefecture.
The Typhon is a land-based mid-range missile system developed for the U.S. Army by American arms manufacturer Lockheed Martin. It can be equipped with SM-6 interceptor missiles and Tomahawk cruise missiles, with a range of up to 480 kilometers. This will be the first time it is deployed in Japan.
It is understood that the Typhon system at Iwakuni Base will be withdrawn after the training ends.
Last year, the U.S. deployed the Typhon mid-range missile system in the Philippines. In response, the Chinese Foreign Ministry stated that the Philippines’ introduction of a mid-range missile system was a provocative and dangerous move in collusion with extraterritorial forces to create regional tension and confrontation, and to incite geopolitical rivalry and an arms race. China urged the Philippines to withdraw the Typhon as soon as possible and "not to proceed further down the wrong path."