Japan to equip its Aegis destroyers with Tomahawk cruise missiles.

According to information published by the Japan Times on March 27, 2023, Japan plans to upgrade its Aegis destroyers by 2027 to accommodate Tomahawk cruise missiles purchased from the United States.
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Japanese Maya class destroyer JS Maya. (Picture source: JMSDF)

The Tomahawk missile is a long-range, subsonic cruise missile that is used by the United States and its allies. The missile has a mass of 2,900 lbs (1,300 kg) and a length of 18 ft 3 in (5.56 m) without the booster and 20 ft 6 in (6.25 m) with the booster. The diameter of the missile is 20.4 in (0.52 m).

The missile can be armed with either a nuclear or conventional warhead. The nuclear version of the missile has a W80 warhead with a yield of 5 to 150 kilotonnes of TNT (21 to 628 TJ) (now retired), while the conventional version has a 1,000-pound (450 kg) high explosive or submunition dispenser with BLU-97/B Combined Effects Bomb or PBXN.

The Tomahawk missile is powered by a Williams International F107-WR-402 turbofan engine that uses TH-dimer fuel, and a solid-fuel rocket booster. It has a wingspan of 8 ft 9 in (2.67 m) and a flight altitude of 98-164 ft (30-50 m) AGL. The missile has a maximum speed of approximately Mach 0.74, which is about 567.7 mph (493.3 kn; 913.6 km/h).

The missile has several guidance systems, including GPS, INS, TERCOM, and DSMAC, as well as active radar homing for the RGM/UGM-109B anti-ship variant. The missile can be launched from a variety of platforms, including vertical launch systems (VLS), torpedo tubes on surface ships, submarines, and TELs (Transporter-Erector-Launchers).

The Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada said on, February 14, 2023, that Japan plans to buy about 500 Tomahawk cruise missiles from the United States.