US and Japan begin joint exercises with advanced missile systems criticized by China as regional threat

Asia-Pacific, News, US September 12, 2025 , by IRIA Comments Off

5 minute read

The United States and Japan launched two weeks of joint military exercises on September 11, 2025, bringing together nearly 14,000 Japanese troops and 5,200 American soldiers. For the first time, the drills include advanced U.S. missile systems alongside Japan’s newly upgraded long-range weapons.

This year’s Resolute Dragon will be the largest ever. The drills will run from September 11 to 25 across Okinawa Prefecture and other regions, and are centered on scenarios such as retaking remote islands in the event of armed conflict.

The exercise would feature deployment of the Typhon midrange missile system, the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS), and Marine Air Defense Integrated System (MADIS), to Japan’s Ishigaki Island, signaling a major policy shift as Japan allows U.S. land-based missile systems onto its territory for training.

Japan is preparing to field its own domestically produced long-range strike weapons, marking a turning point in the country’s postwar defense policy.

The III Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) and the Japan Self-Defense Force (JSDF) are conducting the exercise to practice bilateral crisis response and contingency operations. “By training alongside the Western Army in realistic, combat-focused scenarios, we sharpen the warfighting edge of our forces and present a clear, credible deterrent to any adversary who would threaten peace and security in the Indo-Pacific,” III MEF commander Lt. Gen. Roger Turner said.

Typhon and NMESIS missile systems

The U.S. Army’s Typhon Mid-Range Capability system is being deployed in Japan for the first time. Typhon can fire both the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile and the Standard Missile 6 (SM-6). The Tomahawk has a range of around 1,600 kilometers and can strike targets deep into mainland China from Japanese territory.

The SM-6, while shorter in range at roughly 240 kilometers, can be used against enemy aircraft, cruise missiles, and warships, providing a versatile tool for layered defense. Together, these capabilities allow Typhon to threaten both land and maritime targets while also bolstering ballistic missile defense.

*^{U.S. Marine Corps. NMESIS anti-ship missile system. (Image Credit: US Marine Corps/Major Nicholas Mannweiler)}*

The NMESIS, designed for rapid mobility and operated by the U.S. Marine Corps, launches Naval Strike Missiles (NSMs). Each system consists of a lightweight, uncrewed vehicle that mounts two launchers for NSMs with ranges up to 185 kilometers.

The Naval Strike Missile is a sea-skimming weapon that can evade radar and hit enemy warships with high precision. In an island-defense scenario, NMESIS provides the Marines with the ability to quickly move, deploy, and engage hostile naval forces without relying on large fixed bases.

The introduction of these two U.S. systems reflects Washington’s post-INF Treaty strategy. Since the treaty banning medium- and intermediate-range ground-launched missiles collapsed in 2019, the U.S. has developed and tested new systems to counter China’s expanding arsenal.

Typhon and NMESIS have already been sent to the Philippines during military drills, and they remain stationed there, raising questions about whether their deployment in Japan could also extend beyond exercises.

Japan’s Type-12 missile system

In addition to U.S. systems, Japan’s domestically produced Type-12 surface-to-surface missile is taking part in the drills. The upgraded version of the Type-12 has a range of approximately 900 to 1,000 kilometers, bringing large portions of the East China Sea and China’s coastal regions into range.

The new variant can be launched from land, ships, and aircraft, with deployment across all three platforms planned by 2027. Japan’s Defense Ministry has already announced plans to station these missiles at bases in Kumamoto Prefecture from March next year and at another site in Shizuoka Prefecture by 2027.

Japan's Type-12 anti-ship missile system — *^{Japan Ground Self-Defense Force troops prepare to fire Type-12 anti-ship missiles during the RIMPAC exercise series. (Image Credit: U.S. Army)}*

The introduction of the Type-12 represents Tokyo’s first step toward a formal counterstrike capability, something long avoided under its postwar doctrine. These deployments also reflect Japan’s concern about the growing activities of the People’s Liberation Army, including repeated naval transits near its islands and air patrols close to Japanese airspace.

By fielding a missile system that mirrors some of the range and capabilities of U.S. weapons, Japan is signaling that it intends to play a larger role in regional deterrence and lessen its reliance solely on American strike capabilities. This policy shift is reinforced by Japan’s 2022 National Security Strategy, which openly called for acquiring counterstrike weapons and explicitly identified China as the country’s most serious strategic challenge.

Strategic Impact

The combined deployment of Typhon, NMESIS, and Type-12 missiles during Resolute Dragon highlights a broader shift in the Indo-Pacific security balance. China, which is not bound by the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Force (INF) Treaty, has developed a vast arsenal of roughly 1,800 medium- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles and 400 ground-launched cruise missiles. These weapons could target U.S. bases in Japan and Guam, as well as Japanese defense installations, in the event of a crisis.

The introduction of U.S. and Japanese long-range systems is designed to counter China’s strategy of keeping adversaries out of its immediate region. The systems also allow for rapid deployment across Japan’s southwest islands, which lie close to Taiwan and are considered critical in any future conflict scenario.

By placing advanced mobile missile systems on Japanese soil, the U.S. and its ally gain the ability to impose costs on Chinese forces operating in the East China Sea, the Taiwan Strait, and even parts of mainland China.

^{Members of the U.S. 3rd Marine Division unload a Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) at Naha Military Port, Okinawa, on July 10, 2025. (Image Credit: U.S. Marine Corps/Rodney Frye)}

China’s Reaction

China has condemned the deployment of Typhoon in Japan, arguing that it poses a threat to regional stability. The presence of U.S. Tomahawk-capable launchers so close to China is seen as a significant escalation, even if deployments are officially temporary.

For the United States and Japan, the inclusion of NMESIS adds a layer of maritime denial capability, complicating Chinese operational planning around Japan’s remote islands. The integration of U.S. and Japanese systems in a single exercise highlights interoperability and signals a new reality in which Japan is moving beyond a purely defensive posture.

Japan’s participation with long-range strike weapons alongside U.S. forces underscores a joint strategy of deterrence, signaling that both countries are ready to counter regional military expansion and project power beyond the traditional self-defense framework.