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US removes Tomahawk cruise missile launchers from Japanese base

It is not clear what caused the delay, but local analysts blame the US government shutdown

TOKYO, November 17. /TASS/. The US has withdrawn Typhon mobile ground launchers, used to launch Tomahawk medium-range cruise missiles, among other systems, from the Iwakuni Marine Corps Air Base in Japan, Kyodo news agency reported.

It said that it was originally planned that the launchers, deployed as part of the US-Japanese exercises Resolute Dragon, would be removed upon their completion on September 25. However, by November 10, they were still there, causing serious concern among local public organizations, which highlighted the danger of permanent deployment. The activists demanded that the Japanese defense agency urge the United States to remove them immediately. At present, it is not clear what caused the delay, but local analysts blame the US government shutdown.

Typhons are capable of launching multifunctional SM-6 missiles as well as Tomahawk cruise missiles with a range of up to 1,600 km. In 2024, the United States temporarily deployed Typhons in the northern Philippines, yet they remain stationed there to this day. Both China and Russia have repeatedly warned about the risks posed by deploying such intermediate-range weapons in the region. For example, in September, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry called on Washington and Tokyo to promptly remove the Typhon complexes from East Asia.