US set to redeploy Typhon missile system in Japan
The U.S. military will deploy its Typhon mid-range missile launcher and High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) to southwestern Japan next month for joint exercises with Japan’s Self-Defense Forces, News.Az reports, citing Xinhua.
The systems will be stationed at the Maritime Self-Defense Force’s Kanoya Air Base in Kagoshima Prefecture during the Valiant Shield and Orient Shield exercises between June and September, according to sources familiar with the matter.
After the exercises conclude, the Typhon and HIMARS systems are expected to be moved to a U.S. military base in Japan for storage.
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The Typhon system was first deployed in Japan last September during large-scale joint exercises in Yamaguchi Prefecture, an event that sparked criticism from residents after the system remained in place longer than initially announced.
A local civic group later submitted a request to Japan’s Defense Ministry demanding the system’s immediate removal, expressing concern that such deployments under the name of joint exercises could become routine. The equipment was eventually withdrawn in November last year.
The report highlights ongoing sensitivity in Japan regarding the presence of advanced U.S. missile systems during joint military activities.
By Nijat Babayev
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