U.S. approves deal to sell long-range Tomahawk missiles to Japan

The United States has approved the sale of 400 advanced Tomahawk missiles to Japan as Tokyo beefs up its deterrence capabilities amid what it says are growing security threats from China and North Korea.

The Pentagon said Friday that the U.S. State Department had signed off on the estimated $2.35 billion deal for 400 Tomahawk missiles, 14 Tactical Tomahawk Weapon Control Systems, software, support equipment, spares and technical support.

With a range of 1,600 kilometers, the weapons will give Japan the ability to potentially hit far-away enemy bases and command-and-control nodes. The move follows Tokyo’s adoption of a so-called counterstrike capability last year.