- The U.S. military removed its Typhon mid-range missile launcher from Iwakuni after deploying it for the Japan–U.S. “Resolute Dragon” exercise in September.
- Japan’s regional defense bureau said the launcher remained on site for several weeks after the exercise, despite an initial plan for quick withdrawal.
The United States military has withdrawn its Typhon mid-range missile launcher from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni after deploying it there in September for joint exercises with Japan.
The Chugoku-Shikoku Defense Bureau notified the city of Iwakuni about the withdrawal on November 17, according to information communicated to local officials.
The launcher, known as Typhon, fires Tomahawk cruise missiles. It was deployed by U.S. forces alongside the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force during the bilateral exercise “Resolute Dragon,” held from September 11 to 25. The Tomahawk “has a maximum range of about 1,600 kilometers and can reach Beijing,” and the deployment was intended to show deterrence by Japan and the United States toward China.
The initial plan called for the launcher to be removed about one week after the exercise ended. However, the withdrawal took longer than expected. The Chugoku-Shikoku Defense Bureau told Iwakuni officials on October 17—three weeks after the exercise concluded—that the launcher was still “preparing for withdrawal.” It then took an additional month before the bureau informed the city that Typhon had been formally removed.
The launcher was photographed and discussed widely during the September deployment, as Typhon represents a new U.S. capability positioned in the Indo-Pacific. The system is designed to fire both Tomahawk cruise missiles and the SM-6 missile, giving U.S. forces a flexible land-based strike option in a region where China continues to expand its missile arsenal.
The U.S. previously deployed Typhon to the Philippines during an exercise in 2024. According to the text, “because it was not withdrawn after the exercise ended, China objected.” The Philippines deployment drew attention across the region because it was the first overseas operational appearance of a U.S. land-based missile system of this range since the end of the INF Treaty.
The deployment of Typhon in Japan drew wide interest because the system could, if forward-deployed in the future, give the United States a land-based strike presence able to target key nodes across the region. The launcher, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, is part of the Army’s effort to field a suite of long-range fires after the end of the INF Treaty allowed land-based launchers of this class to return to U.S. planning.