Typhon missile system — The mayor of Kadena Town in Japan’s Okinawa prefecture has formally protested against plans to store a US Typhon mid-range missile system at the local Kadena Air Base. Mayor Hiroshi Toyama submitted a written request to the Japanese Defense Ministry’s Okinawa Defense Bureau on September 28, 2026, demanding the plan be withdrawn.

Toyama called the move “utterly absurd and absolutely unacceptable,” arguing it disregards local residents’ feelings. He expressed concern that, as no storage period was specified, the arrangement could become a permanent deployment.

The Okinawa Defense Bureau announced the plan on its website, stating the Typhon system would be moved from Kanoya Air Base in Kagoshima Prefecture to Kadena by mid-October 2025. The system, capable of firing Tomahawk cruise missiles, has been used in joint military exercises involving Japan, the United States, and other nations.

Its deployment in Japan has previously drawn strong protests from neighboring countries in the region.