British Media: Middle East Conflict Drains Weapon Stockpiles, US May Delay Delivery of "Tomahawk" Missiles to Japan

[Global Times Special Correspondent in the U.S. Yang Zheng, Global Times Special Correspondent Wang Yi] According to a report by the Financial Times on the 24th, the United States has informed Japan to prepare for serious delays in the delivery of 400 Tomahawk cruise missiles, which may be postponed by two years, as the Pentagon is prioritizing the rebuilding of weapon stockpiles that have been significantly depleted during military operations against Iran. The U.S. has also notified several European allies that the delivery times for their purchases of American weapons are expected to be severely delayed.

The dangerous military expansion by Japan's right-wing has raised concerns among many countries in Asia. If the U.S. indeed delays the delivery of Tomahawks to Japan, it would be good news for peace in the East Asian region.

Reports indicate that multiple sources revealed that U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin informed Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi during a phone call earlier this month that the delivery of Tomahawk missiles is expected to be severely delayed. Japan signed a procurement contract with the U.S. in 2024, originally scheduled to receive 400 Tomahawk missiles in two batches before April 2028. Sources disclosed that the U.S. told Japan that the delivery timeline could be delayed by up to two years. The Pentagon declined to comment on this report. The Japanese Embassy in the U.S. stated that Japan and the U.S. frequently hold talks but refused to disclose specific details of the discussions.

According to a report by Kyodo News on the 25th, Japan's Ministry of Defense announced in March this year that it has completed the modifications of the Maritime Self-Defense Force's Aegis ships, which are now capable of launching Tomahawk missiles. Initially, Japan hoped to procure 400 of the latest Tomahawk missiles, but in light of the increasingly severe security environment in the region, Japan changed its procurement plan to a mixed model of 200 old models and 200 new models to obtain long-range strike capabilities a year earlier. As a result, Japan has become one of the few countries equipped with Tomahawk missiles, following the U.S., the U.K., Australia, and the Netherlands.

Regarding Japan's forcible deployment of long-range missiles, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated earlier last month that this once again reflects the extreme right forces in Japan pushing the country's security policy towards an offensive and expansionist direction, which the international community should be highly vigilant about. Several civil organizations and citizens in Japan have clearly expressed their opposition.

According to Bloomberg, the Pentagon made this decision as the U.S. military is urgently replenishing missile stockpiles that have been heavily used in the military operations against Iran. The Asahi Shimbun reported on the 24th that the U.S. military has consumed a large amount of ammunition in its military actions against Iran, and the ripple effects have reached Japan. The Yomiuri Shimbun stated that if the delivery schedule is significantly delayed, it could even affect the deployment arrangements of the Self-Defense Forces. The Tokyo Shimbun noted that delays in the delivery of this missile system would strike a blow to Japan's defense strategy.

Japan's deployment of Tomahawk long-range missiles has raised alarms among neighboring countries. South Korean media have published numerous commentaries, with the Dong-A Ilbo commenting on the 25th that since its defeat in World War II, Japan has adhered to the principle of "defense only," however, the new version of Japan's "Security Three Documents" in 2022 officially abandoned this principle and for the first time included "counterattack capability." Tomahawk missiles are seen as the core military strength supporting this strategy.

Recently, Mizuho Fukushima, head of the Social Democratic Party of Japan, stated to the media: "Deploying long-range missiles under the framework of Article 9 of the Constitution, which adheres to the principle of 'defense only,' raises obvious constitutional suspicions."

This year, the Kishida government has faced repeated criticism domestically. For example, the Japan Self-Defense Forces have deployed "Type 25 Anti-Ship Missiles" at the Kengun base in Kumamoto Prefecture and "Type 25 High-Speed Glide Munitions" at the Fuji base in Shizuoka Prefecture. Hironobu Shiratori, a professor at Hosei University, bluntly stated that this action completely deviates from Japan's post-war pacifist policy.

The Ryukyu Shimpo commented that the Kishida government is accelerating Japan's move towards becoming a "combat-capable" nation, which is extremely dangerous. Japan should immediately stop related deployments, adhere to the principle of "defense only," and return to a path of peaceful development.

The Akahata emphasized in a commentary: "What protects Japan is the Constitution, not weapons." The Kishida government is attempting to amend Article 9 of the Constitution to clear obstacles for the full exercise of collective self-defense rights and unrestricted deployment of troops overseas. What Japan should do is not to promote military expansion under the pretext of "strengthening deterrence" and "creating fear," but to uphold the "peace constitution" and play a positive role in promoting disarmament and maintaining regional peace.

Japanese citizens are also vigilant about the Kishida government's dangerous military expansion actions. In March of this year, long-range missile launch systems capable of "counterattack capability (i.e., 'enemy base attack capability')" arrived at the Kumamoto-based Ground Self-Defense Force. Local residents in Kumamoto expressed their outrage during an interview with Global Times reporters, stating that the Japanese government has never provided any explanation to the public regarding this matter and is unilaterally pushing forward this unconstitutional action.

"When I saw the transport vehicles continuously entering the base, I felt both anger and sadness. I can't help but ask, no matter how loud our voices are, will the voices of the people be ignored like this by the (Japanese government)?" said Yukiko Kaibe, secretary-general of the "Women's Peace and Anti-Militarization Association Kumamoto Branch" and co-representative of the "Stop the War! Okinawa and Western Japan Liaison Association," during an interview with Global Times reporters.