Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada (left) shakes hands with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin after a news conference at the US State Department, Jan 11, 2023, in Washington. (PHOTO / AP)

TOKYO - Japan plans to bulk-order Tomahawk cruise missiles from the United States by March next year as it begins a rapid military build-up, Minister of Defense Yasukazu Hamada said on Tuesday.

Japan wants the cruise missile to give its military the capability to strike targets far from Japan, and the ship-launched version of the munition is capable of flying more than 1,000 kilometers

Japan wants to conclude a contract during the next financial year, which begins April 1, to buy Raytheon Technologies Corp Tomahawks through the US government's foreign military sales (FMS) program, Hamada said at a regular news briefing.

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Japan's latest defense budget, which will jump by a quarter from last year, includes $1.6 billion to buy the cruise missiles, part of its biggest military build-up since World War II. The government hasn't said how many it will buy, but local media reports said it wants as many as 500.

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Japan wants the cruise missile to give its military the capability to strike targets far from Japan. The ship-launched version of the munition is capable of flying more than 1,000 kilometers.