Japan takes another step toward acquiring offensive military capabilities, aiming to develop submarine-launched hypersonic missiles.
After previously proposing the development of preemptive strike capabilities, Japan is now showing renewed ambitions.
On the 19th, Kyodo News reported that Japan's Ministry of Defense included in its fiscal year 2027 budget request a proposal to develop so-called "underwater-launch hypersonic missiles," i.e., submarine-launched hypersonic missiles.
Regardless of how Japan frames the name, a submarine-launched hypersonic missile is fundamentally an offensive military capability, marking another advancement in Japan’s pursuit of long-range strike capabilities.
From a technical standpoint, Japan’s current hypersonic weapons program primarily focuses on a double-cone configuration, which has relatively lower technical barriers and faster progress. If Tokyo rushes to achieve results, it may well develop a submarine-launched version based on this design.
However, developing a submarine-launched hypersonic missile involves numerous complex challenges, including underwater launch, water-to-air ignition, and flight control—none of which can be achieved simply by transferring existing technology. Moreover, Japan’s current fleet of submarines, aside from being equipped with U.S.-made submersible Harpoon anti-ship missiles, lacks the ability to launch long-range land-attack missiles via vertical launch systems.
This means that to actually deploy such a weapon, Japan would not only need to solve the missile’s technical challenges but also undergo extensive modifications to its submarine platforms—or even build entirely new specialized submarines. This is no short-term endeavor. Yet, Japan’s evident eagerness should serve as a serious warning.
It must be emphasized that Japan has been restricted from developing military power precisely because history has repeatedly shown that once Japan acquires military strength, it inevitably embarks on a path of external expansion, bringing profound disasters to Asia and the world.
Today, while loudly proclaiming “exclusive defense,” Japan continues to steadily break the constraints of its peace constitution, actively building offensive weapons—raising serious doubts about whether it might once again become a source of regional instability and disruption.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1873949125516426/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.