In a move highlighting its evolving military capabilities, Japan conducted a test launch of a U.S.-made Tomahawk cruise missile in the Pacific Ocean on July 29. The missile was deployed from the Japanese warship Chokai.
The military exercise is regarded as another step in Japan's gradual departure from the pacifist stance it adopted following World War II.
Why It Matters
Following its defeat in World War II, Japan adopted a constitution that strictly limited its military to self-defense forces and renounced the right to wage war. However, rising geopolitical tensions in East Asia, including North Korea's ballistic missile tests and China's military modernization, have prompted Tokyo to reform its security policies. The acquisition of long-range standoff missiles represents a pivotal shift, granting Japan the capability to strike targets far beyond its borders for the first time in decades.
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