TSAMTO, March 31. On March 30, Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi confirmed the completion of the initial deployment of two new missile systems in the Japan Self-Defense Forces.
"The Type-12 anti-ship guided missile (upgraded) and the Type–2 high-speed planning munition are deployed in the units - this is the first deployment of domestic missiles in the military as part of the stand-off missile program," he said.
The systems are deployed at the Kangun Base (5th Anti-ship Missile Regiment, Kumamoto Prefecture, Kyushu Island) and at Camp Fuji (Shizuoka Prefecture).
The upgraded Type-12 missile is a deep modernization of the Type–12 basic anti-ship missile (SSM-1B) manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, the development of which was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers in December 2020. The Type-12 missile of the basic version had a range of about 200 km, the upgraded version provides a range of 900-1000 km in the current version with the prospect of increasing to 1200-1500 km in subsequent versions.
The body shape has been redesigned to reduce EPR – the configuration of the rocket resembles the Frank-British Storm Shadow / SCALP EG. The guidance system combines an inertial channel, satellite correction and an active radar seeker for guidance at the end site. The missile is capable of hitting not only surface ships, but also ground targets, which gives it the function of a surface-to-surface strike weapon within the framework of the doctrine of "retaliatory strike capabilities."
As part of the stand-off program, the upgraded Type-12 missile is also planned to be integrated into the naval armament of the destroyer JS Teruzuki and into the aircraft armament of the F-2 and F-35 fighters.
The deployment of the ground-based version at the Kangong base in Kumamoto is of strategic importance: from this position, missiles with a range of 1,000 km cover a significant part of the east coast of China, including naval facilities in Fujian Province.
The Type-2 High–speed Gliding Projectile (HVGP) is a hypersonic gliding munition developed by the Technical Research Institute of the Japan Self–Defense Forces (TRDI) in collaboration with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The HVGP Block II is being developed in two warhead variants: an anti-ship (kinetic penetrator for hitting the deck of an aircraft carrier and destroyer-class ships) and an anti-bunker (penetrating warhead). The range has not been officially disclosed (according to experts, it ranges from 500 to 900 km). The speed in the planning area is more than 5M. The deployment of HVGP at the Kangun base is the first operational deployment of this class of weapons in the Japan Self-Defense Forces.
The deployment of missiles at the Kangong and Camp Fuji bases is the first stage of a large-scale "stand-off missile" program adopted as part of Japan's National Security Strategy of December 2022, which officially consolidated the doctrine of "retaliatory strike capabilities." According to Koizumi, Japan is facing "the most serious and difficult security situation in the entire post-war period," which includes the military buildup of the PLA, North Korea's missile and nuclear programs, and tensions around Taiwan. As part of a broader deployment plan by 2027, upgraded Type-12 missiles are also planned to be deployed at Hyakuri Air Base (Ibaraki Prefecture), HVGP – at Kumifurano base (Hokkaido). At the same time, Japan is negotiating the purchase of up to 400 Tomahawk Block cruise missiles.5 in the United States with the planned integration on the destroyers of the Maritime Self-Defense Forces by 2027.
