The country is working to modify Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) destroyer JS Chokai (DDG-176) to launch the long-range, subsonic guided missiles typically used by the U.S. Navy. In a regularly scheduled Tuesday press conference, Japan Defense Minister Gen Naktani stated Japan will receive Tomahawk missiles in their current fiscal year, which spans April 1 to March 31. To enable prompt operational capability after acquiring the missiles, modifications to destroyer Chokai will be done in the same fiscal year, Naktani said. Several Japanese Maritime Defense Force ship classes field the U.S.-designed Mk-41 Vertical Launch System cells that can easily accommodate the Tomahawk. Japan agreed to purchase a total of 400 Tomahawk missiles in January 2024 through a block buy contract.