Japan in talks to acquire US-made Tomahawk cruise missiles
A Tomahawk cruise missile
Japan is reportedly planning to buy US-made Tomahawk cruise missiles and the negotiations are in the final stage, the Yomiuri daily reported on Friday, citing multiple unnamed Japanese government sources. Since Beijing has been rapidly modernising its military, besides holding drills, Tokyo is trying to pad itself up. It is seeking to build up its arms inventory, reportedly the biggest since World War II.
Tomahawks are known to hit targets from more than 1,000 km (620 miles) away. This puts parts of China and the Russian Far East within range of the country.
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Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno declined to comment on the matter but acknowledged that he is aware of the reports doing the rounds.
"The government is considering about counterattack capabilities but no specifics has been decided," he added.
Chinese military activity in the seas and skies around Taiwan and Japan has become a matter of concern for Tokyo. It fears that Russia's invasion of Ukraine might be seen as a precedent by China which might propel it to use force against Taiwan.
Following US House speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan in August, China had fired missiles into waters less than 160 km from Japan to display its anger over the trip, since China considers Taiwan a part of its territory.
At the 20th Communist Party Congress last week, Chinese leader Xi Jinping called for accelerating plans to build a world-class military. He said his country would never renounce the right to use force to resolve the Taiwan issue.
(With inputs from agencies)
