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By Ryan Chan
China News Reporter
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Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Newsweek that the deployment of the United States Typhon missile system in the country does not target any specific nation, after Russia said it reserved the right to take "necessary measures" to ensure its security.
Newsweek has contacted the U.S. Forces Japan for comment via email. The Russian defense and foreign ministries did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Why It Matters
The Typhon Mid-Range Capability system is a U.S. Army ground-based missile system capable of conducting land-attack missions with 1,000-mile-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. It was deployed to Japan in September for the Resolute Dragon 25 bilateral drill, putting Russia's Far East region within its range, according to a Newsweek map.
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The missile deployment followed the U.S. withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in 2019, which banned land-based cruise missiles with a range of 310 to 3,417 miles, citing Russia's deployment of a prohibited weapon. The withdrawal allowed the U.S. to pursue similar systems capable of countering Russia.
What To Know
Russia's Foreign Ministry lodged a strong protest with Japan's embassy on October 31 over security concerns regarding the country's Far Eastern borders, where both nations claim ownership of four islands between the Kamchatka Peninsula and Hokkaido.
Moscow claimed that the Typhon system, which can launch shorter- and intermediate-range missiles, had not been withdrawn from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, a key U.S. military base in Japan, following the conclusion of Exercise Resolute Dragon 25.
"It was noted in this connection that the Russian Federation reserved the right to take the necessary compensatory measures for ensuring the due level of its security," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a press release. No further explanation was provided.
In response, Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement to Newsweek on Thursday that the bilateral war game aimed to improve the "mobile deployment capabilities" of similar U.S. missiles and is not targeting any specific country or region.
Japan's Defense Ministry previously told Newsweek that the U.S. military "is currently preparing for the retrograde" of the Typhon missile system, adding that the deployment was temporary for the exercise and is not intended to be permanently based in Japan.
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Dmitry Stefanovich, a research fellow at the Primakov National Research Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told Newsweek that Russia could deploy its INF-range weapons, including the Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile and the Kalibr cruise missile, as countermeasures.
Russia could also strengthen air and missile defenses in the Far East, but all measures would likely wait until the end of the war in Ukraine, according to Stefanovich.
In the protest, Russia also said a joint exercise of Japan's Self-Defense Forces, held in late October across the country—including Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost main island—took place in the "geographical vicinity" of the Russian Federation.
Moscow described the Japanese war game as "provocative military activity," creating a potential threat to Russia's Far Eastern borders. Tokyo told Newsweek that the drill aimed to enhance the "integrated operational capabilities" of the Self-Defense Forces.
What People Are Saying
Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Newsweek on Thursday: "On October 31, the Embassy of Japan in Russia explained Japan's position to the Russian side in response to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs conveying its position on these matters. While Japan-Russia relations continue to face a difficult situation, Japan will continue to maintain appropriate communication with Russia regarding various issues as neighboring countries."
Dmitry Stefanovich, a research fellow at the Primakov National Research Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told Newsweek on Friday: "Typhon itself is not a huge challenge in the moment, but the overall trend of U.S. and allied intermediate-range missiles proliferation in the region is. This will get even more complicated with [the new U.S. nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile, SLCM-N], as it can have 'reverse compatibility' with Mk 41/Mk 70 launchers."
The Mk 70 launcher is similar to the Typhon missile launcher, according to the defense outlet The War Zone. The Mk 41 is a ship-based vertical launching system for missiles.
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen how the Russian military will adjust its posture—offensive or defensive—in the Far East to respond to the Typhon missile deployment in Japan.
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