US Removes Missile System from Japan Amidst Rising Tensions with China Over Taiwan
Iwakuni, Japan – The US Army’s Typhon Mid-range Capability (MRC) missile launcher system has been withdrawn from the Iwakuni base in Yamaguchi prefecture, the Japanese Defense Ministry confirmed Monday, as a diplomatic dispute between Beijing and Tokyo intensifies over potential japanese military intervention in a Taiwan Strait conflict.
The removal of the Typhon system, deployed in September for the US-Japan “Resolute Dragon 2025” joint exercise, follows recent remarks by Japanese politician Sanae Takaichi suggesting Japan could intervene militarily should a crisis erupt across the Taiwan Strait. This statement has triggered a sharp rebuke from Beijing, escalating already strained relations. The Typhon system is capable of launching Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles and SM-6 air defence missiles with a range of up to 1,800km (1,118 miles), placing major Chinese cities like Beijing and Shanghai within its reach if launched from Japan.
The deployment of the Typhon system marked the first time the US had installed the Mid-Range Capability in Japan, citing the need to test rapid wartime transitions. Both China and Russia had previously protested the system’s presence at the Iwakuni base. The Japanese Defence Ministry stated the deployment was always intended to be temporary,with the system scheduled for withdrawal within a week of the exercise’s conclusion on September 25.
