US Typhon in Japan stirs a missile storm on China’s doorstep

By wheeling the Typhon missile system into Japan, the US has planted a mobile, multi-mission spear at China’s doorstep—extending strike range even as its bulky footprint invites satellite surveillance, missile attacks and drone swarms.

This month, multiple media outlets reported that the US Army has deployed its Typhon mid-range missile system to Japan for the first time, unveiling it at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Yamaguchi Prefecture as part of the two sides’ annual Resolute Dragon joint exercise.

The system, which can fire Tomahawk cruise missiles and Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) interceptors with ranges of up to 1,600 kilometers, enables strikes from Japan on China’s populous and economically vital eastern seaboard as well as parts of Russia.

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