US military plans to relocate Taiphon intermediate-range missile launcher to Kadena Air Base

The U.S. military is planning to bring a mobile intermediate-range missile launcher, the Typhon, to Kadena Air Base (Kadena Town, Okinawa Prefecture, etc.) as early as mid-October, where it will be stored there. The Ministry of Defense has asked for understanding that it will strengthen the deterrence and response capabilities of the Japan-U.S. alliance, but there is also a strong sense of caution that it will lead to permanent deployment, and local governments are calling for its withdrawal.

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At a press conference on the 29th, Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi emphasized the significance of storing the Typhon at Kadena, saying, ``It effectively demonstrates the U.S. military's mobile deployment capabilities.'' ``Strengthening the Japan-U.S. alliance is essential to preserving peaceful life.''

The US Army's Typhon has a maximum range of about 1,600 km and can carry the Tomahawk cruise missile, which can reach mainland China. They were temporarily deployed to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Kanoya Air Base (Kanoya City, Kagoshima Prefecture) in conjunction with the Japan-U.S.-Australia joint training exercise held this month, but it was announced that they would be withdrawn and moved to Kadena Air Base by mid-October.