Russia has warned Japan of compensatory countermeasures over the planned deployment of US Typhon missile systems during upcoming Japan-US-Australia military exercises. The warning marks another escalation in already strained Russia-Japan relations and comes as Tokyo deepens its defence cooperation with Washington and other Indo-Pacific partners. Moscow formally protested to Japan over the planned use of US Typhon launchers during the Orient Shield exercises, which are scheduled to take place across Japan from September 8 to 24. The drills are expected to involve around 3,700 personnel from Japan, the United States and Australia, making this year’s exercise the largest edition so far, according to Kyodo News as reported by Reuters. The exercises will also feature US Typhon mid-range missile systems for the first time. The system can launch SM-6 missiles and Tomahawk cruise missiles.
Russia Objects To US Typhon Missiles In Japan
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Moscow had lodged a formal complaint with the Japanese embassy in Moscow on Monday. Speaking to reporters in Vladivostok, Zakharova said Russia was particularly concerned about military activity taking place in Japanese areas close to Russia’s Far Eastern borders.
“The Japanese side was firmly informed that provocative military activity near our country’s far eastern borders is categorically unacceptable,” Zakharova said. She also highlighted reports that American Typhon ground-based missile systems would be deployed in Japan as part of the exercises.
Russia considers the deployment unacceptable even if the systems are brought to Japan temporarily for military drills. Moscow argues that placing such weapons on Japanese territory creates a security threat to Russia. Attention was also drawn to reports that, as part of these exercises, it is intended to deploy American Typhon ground-based systems. It was made clear to the embassy that the deployment of such weapons on Japanese territory, including under the pretext of military exercises, is absolutely unacceptable as it poses a threat to Russia’s security. A warning was issued regarding compensatory countermeasures by Moscow aimed at ensuring an appropriate level of national security.” Russia has not specified what those compensatory countermeasures would involve.
What Is The US Typhon Missile System?
The Typhon missile system is a US ground-based mid-range missile system designed to provide long-range strike capabilities. The system can fire Tomahawk cruise missiles, which have a reported range of up to about 1,600 kilometres, as well as SM-6 missiles. Xinhua described the system deployed in Japan as the country’s longest-range ground-based weapons system.
The presence of Typhon in Japan is strategically significant because it gives the US a land-based platform capable of launching long-range missiles from the region. For Moscow, the location is particularly sensitive because Japan lies close to Russia’s Far Eastern territory. Russia has therefore linked the planned deployment to its broader concerns about expanding US-Japan military cooperation.
When Was Typhon First Deployed In Japan?
The Typhon system has already been brought to Japan for military exercises. According to Reuters, the US military sent the system to Kagoshima Prefecture in June for joint exercises with Japan’s Self-Defense Forces. The launchers are scheduled to participate in the September Orient Shield drills before being moved to a US military base in Japan around mid-October, according to the Japan Times report cited by Reuters. The planned movement has added to Moscow’s concerns because Russia is closely watching whether the missile systems remain in Japan beyond the immediate exercise period.
Why Is Russia Angry About The Typhon Deployment?
Russia’s objection is mainly linked to the location, range and potential strategic role of the Typhon system. Moscow argues that deploying US ground-based missile systems on Japanese territory brings advanced American strike capabilities closer to Russia’s Far East.
The concern is heightened by the system’s ability to launch Tomahawk cruise missiles. Russia has also criticised Japan’s growing military cooperation with the United States and has called on Tokyo to return to its postwar pacifist policy. The dispute is therefore not only about a single military exercise. It reflects wider concerns in Moscow about the changing security environment in the Indo-Pacific and the expanding defence partnership between Japan and the United States.
Orient Shield 2026: Japan, US And Australia To Join Drills
The Orient Shield exercises will bring together Japanese, US and Australian personnel from September 8 to 24. About 3,700 personnel are expected to participate, making the 2026 edition the largest iteration of the exercise so far. The inclusion of the US Typhon system is another major feature of this year’s drills.
For Japan, the exercises provide an opportunity to improve coordination with the United States and Australia. For Washington, they demonstrate continued military cooperation with key Indo-Pacific partners. For Moscow, however, the drills are taking place in a strategically sensitive area close to its Far Eastern borders.
Russia-Japan Tensions Rise Over Kuril Islands
The Typhon dispute comes shortly after another diplomatic clash between Moscow and Tokyo over the disputed Kuril Islands. Russian President Vladimir Putin recently visited a Russian-controlled island in the chain off northeastern Japan. The visit prompted a strong response from Tokyo.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi called Putin’s visit “absolutely unacceptable”. Moscow subsequently summoned the Japanese ambassador and protested what it described as anti-Russian remarks by Japanese officials. Reuters said the two countries have exchanged a series of protests in recent weeks.
The Kuril Islands dispute dates back to the final days of the Second World War. Russia controls the four southernmost islands, while Japan claims them and refers to them as the Northern Territories. The dispute has remained a major obstacle to a peace treaty between the two countries.
What Could Russia’s ‘Compensatory Countermeasures’ Mean?
Moscow has so far given no details about the measures it could take in response to the Typhon deployment. Zakharova’s warning indicates that Russia views the presence of US missile systems in Japan as a matter of national security. However, it remains unclear whether any Russian response would involve military deployments, changes to regional defence arrangements or other strategic measures.
For now, the immediate focus is on the September 8–24 Orient Shield exercises and the first participation of the US Typhon system. The development highlights the increasingly complex security environment in the Indo-Pacific, where US military cooperation with Japan and Australia is expanding while Russia is becoming more vocal about what it considers threats near its Far Eastern borders.
