Japan is expanding its standoff strike arsenal with a new precision missile to bolster homeland defense amid regional instability.
Aiming to reinforce homeland defense amid regional instability, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has been chosen by the Japanese MoD to develop a new long-range surface to ship/surface to surface precision missile.
The ¥32 billion ($219 million) contract was announced on Tuesday, Apr. 1, 2025, with an intention to see the missiles enter service by 2032. The new design will be compatible with existing Type 12 surface to ship missile (SSM) launchers. An upgraded version of the Type 12, featuring a new lower radar cross section (RCS) design, was revealed in the summer of 2024.
Very few other details of the new Mitsubishi missile have been released so far. Slides released to document the missile show a stealthy design featuring wings and tail control surfaces, with no visible air intake. This is, however, clearly an early, low-detail rendering – the final missile may end up being very different in appearance.
Additional slides suggest the missile will be able to leverage targeting and guidance data from satellites and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in order to improve accuracy.
In addition to this new design, as well as the upgraded Type 12, Japan fields an impressive range of standoff anti-surface and anti-ship weaponry. Currently in service with the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) are the Type 80 and Type 93 air launched anti-ship missiles (designated ASM-1 and ASM-2 respectively) which are due to be replaced by the ASM-3 missile in the coming years.
Several types of Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) ships are fitted with the Type 90 anti-ship missile, which is derived from the Type 88 on which the Type 12 is based.
In development simultaneously with Mitsubishi’s standoff missile is the Kawasaki ‘New SSM’, designed for deployment on Japan’s island chains and boasting exceptional range performance.
Japan is also an export customer for the American-designed AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM), which can be deployed from JASDF F-35s and F-15s. A significant order of 400 BGM-109 Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAM) was placed in Jan. 2024 for JMSDF ships.
Similar to other nations, Japan is also investing heavily in the development of next generation hypersonic glide vehicle weapons.
In response to increased Chinese maritime forces around the Senkaku island chain, Japan has deployed anti-ship and surface-to-air (SAM) missiles on its Southwest Islands.
A new feature from @AsiaMTI: https://t.co/OSH7dVeLQ1 pic.twitter.com/XuiDLkIyjc
— CSIS (@CSIS) August 8, 2020
Regional Threats
Japan has been increasing its already formidable defense forces in response to rapid technological advancements and more aggressive postures taken by the People’s Republic of China and by North Korea. Missile testing by the latter overflying Japanese waters, or even territory, is now a regular occurrence, while China’s expanding activity in and above the waters around East Asia have led to multiple encounters and even airspace incursions.
WATCH: Sirens wail in northern Japan as people are urged to seek shelter for North Korean missile pic.twitter.com/Ax7jtxBC7k
— BNO News Live (@BNODesk) April 12, 2023
While the new U.S. administration’s foreign policies have not triggered the same level of alarm among its Asian allies as it has in Europe, some remarks regarding America’s willingness to honor defense pacts, as well as more recent developments regarding tariffs, have still caused concern. Nonetheless, Japan remains heavily committed to its strong military alliance with the U.S. and expanded ties may still be on the table.
Japan, U.S. defense chiefs meet to beef up alliance amid China risehttps://t.co/1tluEE19an
— Kyodo News | Japan (@kyodo_english) March 30, 2025
In March, it was revealed that deployments of additional missile batteries to Kyushu island are under consideration by the Japanese government. Kyushu is the most southerly of Japan’s main islands and the closest geographically to China and North Korea. The upgraded Type 12 missiles that could be deployed would be well within range of coastal targets in China as well as most of North Korea. They would provide a counter-strike capability to act in tandem with existing air defense missiles deployed to Kyushu, as well as other locations across Japan.
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who took office in October 2024, is a self-avowed ‘defense geek’ and has supported moves by previous office holders to increase military spending and adjust the constitution to allow for collective defense pacts. His cabinet has been described as having an emphasis on defense, and he has actively called for the establishment of an Asian version of NATO.
He is a proponent of the U.S.-Japan partnership, although has proposed a shift towards a more balanced relationship between the two nations. This type of messaging is likely to resonate well with the Trump administration.
