The United States Army's Typhon missile system, due to be deployed in Japan during a joint military exercise, would be capable of striking the Russian city of Vladivostok in the event of a war, according to Andrei Kots, a military affairs columnist for the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti.
Kots said a likely adversary appeared intent on testing Russia's defenses through the drills. Servicemembers from Australia, the United States and Japan are set to take part in the exercise, called Orient Shield 2026, and Washington will deploy the Typhon system on Japanese territory for the first time.
What the Typhon battery can do
A Typhon battery is made up of four launchers, each capable of firing four missiles. The launchers are mounted in containers on wheeled chassis and can be armed with either Tomahawk cruise missiles or SM-6 surface-to-air missiles. The Tomahawk is a long-range weapon built to strike land targets, while the SM-6 is designed mainly to intercept aircraft and missiles. The system, also known as the Mid-Range Capability, was developed by the US Army to fire missiles at ranges that had previously been restricted under a now-defunct arms control treaty.
Kots said that in the event of a major war, deploying the Typhon system on the Japanese island of Hokkaido would let American forces strike Russia's Far East, including facilities of the Pacific Fleet in Vladivostok, Nakhodka and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.
Why Vladivostok and Hokkaido matter
Vladivostok, on Russia's Pacific coast, is home to the headquarters of the Russian Navy's Pacific Fleet. Hokkaido is Japan's northernmost main island, separated from the Russian island of Sakhalin by a narrow strait. Orient Shield is a recurring joint exercise between the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force and the US Army.
Kots said the exercise amounted to a statement by Tokyo that it was ready to give Washington use of Japanese territory for strikes on Russia's nuclear deterrence forces.
Earlier sighting in Kagoshima
In July, vehicles resembling equipment from the Typhon system were spotted in Japan's Kagoshima prefecture, at a base positioned close to Chinese territory.
