On August 28, 2025, Reuters reported that Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force confirmed the deployment of the U.S. Army’s Typhon surface-to-surface missile system to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni. The system’s arrival will coincide with Resolute Dragon 2025, a major bilateral exercise with Japan scheduled for September 11–25, 2025. This marks the first time Typhon has been stationed on Japanese territory, signaling Washington’s intent to strengthen land-based strike capabilities across the Indo-Pacific.
Typhon, formally designated as the Strategic Mid-Range Fires System, can launch both SM-6 and Tomahawk missiles. With ranges exceeding 320 km for SM-6 and up to 1,500 km for Tomahawk, the road-mobile, containerized system provides a survivable and flexible precision-strike option against both land and maritime targets.
The deployment carries distinct implications for regional powers:
- China must now account for a mobile U.S. missile threat that places its coastal bases, naval assets, and amphibious forces at greater risk.
- Russia faces new U.S. strike coverage over Far Eastern bases and supply corridors, tightening pressure on its Pacific posture.
- North Korea sees much of its critical military infrastructure fall within Tomahawk range, reducing its reaction time and undermining deterrence credibility.
The move follows a brief 2024 rotation of Typhon in the Philippines, which drew sharp criticism from Beijing and prompted Chinese live-fire drills. Unlike that temporary deployment, the stationing of Typhon in Japan appears more permanent, with integration into Resolute Dragon 2025 involving over 12,000 Japanese troops and 1,900 U.S. personnel.
Strategically, Typhon’s presence in Iwakuni closes a critical gap in U.S. regional strike options. It enhances collective defense with Japan, supports Taiwan, and extends offensive reach into North Korea and Russia’s Far East. More than symbolic, the deployment reshapes the Indo-Pacific balance of power, embedding mobile precision fires as a central element of U.S. deterrence.
