US Pulls Typhon Missile System From Japan as China–Japan Tensions Spike

World Defense

The United States has withdrawn its Typhon Mid-Range Capability (MRC) missile system from Japan, Japanese media confirmed on Monday, ending a deployment that had triggered sharp diplomatic tension with China and stirred domestic unease inside Japan.

The system, capable of launching Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles and SM-6 air-defence missiles, had been positioned at the US Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Yamaguchi Prefecture since September for the US-Japan “Resolute Dragon 2025” joint exercise.

Although Tokyo had said the deployment was strictly temporary and would be removed “within around a week” after the conclusion of the exercise on September 25, the launcher remained in place for nearly seven weeks longer — remaining at the base until at least November 10, according to civic groups protesting in Yamaguchi and neighboring Hiroshima.

By Monday, the Japanese Defence Ministry confirmed to local authorities that the system had been fully removed. However, officials offered no explanation for the long delay, leaving analysts questioning whether the extended stay was strategic, accidental, or politically constrained.

 

A System Capable of Striking Beijing

The Typhon system’s deployment was highly sensitive due to its range of up to 1,800 km, placing Beijing, Shanghai, and large stretches of eastern China well within potential strike distance.
It was the first-ever deployment of this system on Japanese soil — a fact that drew immediate protests from both China and Russia.

The United States had framed the deployment as an opportunity to test “rapid wartime transitions,” part of a broader plan to strengthen deterrence in the Indo-Pacific.

However, the system’s extended stay — well beyond the exercise timeline — raised local fears that the deployment might become quasi-permanent, prompting civic petitions demanding its removal.

 

Diplomatic Storm Over Taiwan Comments

The withdrawal coincided with a dramatic deterioration in China–Japan relations sparked by recent remarks from Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

Last week, Takaichi described a Taiwan Strait crisis involving the use of force as a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan — language that implies Japan could join the United States in military action should Beijing move against Taiwan.

China reacted fiercely, accusing Takaichi of:

• “Seriously damaging bilateral ties”

• “Challenging the post-war international order”

Beijing then issued a travel warning for Japan, cancelled multiple cultural and exchange programs, and lodged repeated diplomatic protests. Additional retaliatory steps are expected, as Tokyo has refused to retract Takaichi’s comments.

Given this backdrop of escalating hostility, analysts say Washington and Tokyo likely saw the Typhon launcher as an unnecessarily provocative signal at a moment when both governments were trying to manage the fallout.

 

US-Japan Defense Pact: What Security Washington Provides Tokyo

The developments also shed light on the role of the US-Japan Security Treaty, the foundation of Tokyo’s national defense since 1960.

Key Security Guarantees under the US-Japan Defense Pact

1. Mutual Defense Obligations
The treaty commits the United States to defend Japan if the country is attacked. Unlike many alliances, this includes attacks on Japanese-administered territories, including the Senkaku Islands.

2. Forward Deployment of US Forces
Japan hosts roughly 50,000 US troops, the largest overseas concentration of American forces in the world. The bases provide:

• A rapid-response force against regional threats

• Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) coverage

• Nuclear and conventional deterrence through US naval and air assets

3. Access to Advanced US Military Technology
The US assists Japan with:

• Ballistic missile defense (Aegis, Patriot PAC-3, SM-3)

• Fighter integration (F-35A/B)

• Advanced missile systems like Tomahawks (Japan will begin receiving these soon)

• Joint cyber and space defense projects

4. Joint Operations and Planning
Tokyo and Washington cooperate on:

• Taiwan contingency planning

• Maritime security in the East China Sea

• Integrated air and missile defense

• Joint training to ensure interoperability between forces

These guarantees form the backbone of Japan’s security — but they also create strategic dependence. The Typhon withdrawal has revived debate in Tokyo about whether Japan can continue relying so heavily on Washington as the strategic environment worsens.

 

Why the US Pulled the System — Key Factors

1. Escalating China–Japan Diplomatic Tensions

With Beijing already responding harshly to Takaichi’s Taiwan remarks, the presence of a US missile system capable of hitting mainland China risked turning a diplomatic dispute into a full-scale strategic crisis.
The withdrawal likely served as a de-escalation gesture.

2. The Deployment Was Always Officially “Temporary”

Japan had repeatedly said Typhon would be removed within a week of the exercise’s end. Its extended presence risked appearing dishonest or strategically ambiguous. Removing it allowed the US and Japan to return to the original temporary deployment narrative.

3. Local Political Pressure Inside Japan

Civic groups in Yamaguchi and Hiroshima petitioned for the removal, warning that hosting a strike-capable US system could turn the region into a target during any conflict involving China.

4. Avoiding Accidental Escalation With China

At a time when the US already has a Typhon system deployed in the Philippines, keeping additional systems in Japan may have risked reinforcing China’s claims that the US is building an “island-chain offensive network.”

5. Strategic Flexibility for Future Deployments

The US is experimenting with mobile and rotational basing of mid-range missiles across the Indo-Pacific. Removing Typhon from Japan does not reduce capability — it simply repositions it for future use.

 

Regional Fallout: South Korea Also Steps Back

In a separate development, South Korea informed Japan that it would withdraw from a planned search-and-rescue exercise involving the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force.
This follows Tokyo’s cancellation of aerial refuelling assistance for South Korean Air Force aircraft — a decision triggered by Seoul conducting training flights near the disputed Dokdo/Takeshima islets.

The sudden chill between Seoul and Tokyo adds another layer of tension to an already strained regional environment.

 

Wider Strategic Stakes

Despite the withdrawal of the Typhon system, tensions across the Indo-Pacific remain high. Washington is steadily expanding its rotational missile deployments in the Philippines, strengthening its ability to respond around Taiwan and the South China Sea. At the same time, Japan is moving ahead with the purchase of Tomahawk cruise missiles and developing its own long-range strike capabilities, marking one of the most significant shifts in its post-war defence policy.

Meanwhile, China has intensified military patrols, diplomatic warnings, and pressure campaigns, accusing both Japan and the United States of “external interference” in the Taiwan issue. These parallel moves underline a region growing more militarized, more unpredictable, and increasingly defined by the rivalry between the three major powers.

 

This Withdrawal May Push Japan Toward Building Its Own Military Power

Defense experts say the episode highlights a long-term strategic dilemma for Tokyo:
Japan relies on US firepower, but the timing, location, and political risk of these deployments remain Washington’s decision — not Japan’s.

This dependence, combined with rising threats from China, North Korea, and Russia, is likely to accelerate Japan’s ongoing military transformation.

Possible Shifts in Japan’s Security Policy

1. Greater Emphasis on Indigenous Strike Capability
Japan is already acquiring 400 Tomahawk cruise missiles, developing the Type-12 standoff missile, and investing in hypersonic systems.
The Typhon episode may reinforce Tokyo’s desire to have domestic, permanently stationed long-range strike options that it controls fully.

2. Reduced Reliance on US Rotational Deployments
Japan may increasingly prefer Japanese-owned missile systems on Japanese soil, rather than US systems that can be politically withdrawn or relocated.

3. Acceleration of Defense Spending
Tokyo already plans to raise defense spending to 2% of GDP, one of the fastest increases in its post-war history. Events like this could drive calls for even greater investment.

4. Stronger Push for Constitutional Debate
Conservatives may use the incident to argue that Japan needs a more normal military, less constrained by Article 9 restrictions and less dependent on US strategic decisions.

 

Conclusion

The US withdrawal of the Typhon missile system from Japan marks more than the end of a temporary military deployment — it has become a symbol of the shifting power balance in East Asia.

The move:

• Reflects the dangerous spike in China–Japan tensions,

• Highlights the delicate nature of US-Japan alliance management, and

• Reinforces growing calls in Tokyo for a more independent, self-reliant military posture.

As geopolitical competition intensifies across the Indo-Pacific, Japan may emerge from this episode more determined than ever to strengthen its own military power, reduce strategic dependence on Washington, and prepare for a future where regional conflict is no longer unthinkable.