The U.S. State Department has approved a sale of as much as 400 RTX [RTX] Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAM) to Japan for nearly $2.4 billion.
The sale would come with 200 RGM-109E Block IVs, 200 Block Vs, and 14 weapon control systems, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said on Nov. 17.
RTX makes the Tomahawks at its Tucson, Ariz., plant.
“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the US by improving the safety of a serious ally that may be a force for political stability and economic progress within the Indo-Pacific region,” DSCA said. “The proposed sale will improve Japan’s capability to fulfill current and future threats by providing an extended range, conventional surface-to-surface missile with significant standoff range that may neutralize growing threats.”
While the UK has had Tomahawks for its attack submarines for the reason that Nineties, U.S. Indo-Pacific allies have received permission this 12 months to get the 1,000 mile-range missiles.
In February, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told legislators of his intent to purchase the 400 TLAMs for destroyers with Lockheed Martin‘s [LMT] Aegis combat system.
In March, the U.S. State Department approved an $895 million sale of 220 Tomahawks to Australia.