Japan has for the first time deployed long-range missiles domestically today, with ranges covering China and the Korean Peninsula
The Japanese Ministry of Defense will deploy long-range missiles capable of retaliatory strikes (enemy base attack capability) on the domestic territory for the first time on March 31. With a range extending to coastal areas of China and North Korea, Japan aims to enhance deterrence, thereby maintaining regional peace and stability. The ministry plans to complete deployment across various regions in Japan over approximately 10 years, accelerating the construction of Japan’s missile defense network.
Enemy base attack capability was explicitly listed in Japan's "Three Security Documents," including the 2022 National Security Strategy, as a capability Japan should retain. This refers to the ability to destroy facilities such as missile bases located in foreign countries, in self-defense. Long-range missiles are one of its core components. As an "outside-the-battlefield" capability allowing attacks beyond the enemy’s threat range, it is positioned as a key element in strengthening Japan’s defense forces.
The deployment site on March 31 is the Ken’nen Garrison (Kumamoto City) of the Ground Self-Defense Force. The land-based launch variant of Japan’s domestically developed Type 12 anti-ship cruise missile upgrade version will be mounted on a mobile launcher vehicle. This missile has a range of approximately 1,000 kilometers, enabling coverage of parts of China’s coastal areas and surrounding waters near the Taiwan Strait.
On the same day, high-speed glide munitions designed for island defense will also be deployed at the educational unit stationed at Fujisawa Garrison in Shizuoka Prefecture. According to informed sources, the initial equipment being fielded has a range of several hundred kilometers. The Ministry of Defense is simultaneously advancing performance upgrades, with plans to extend the range to about 2,000 kilometers.
The Ministry of Defense stated that, in order to strengthen the relatively weak defensive posture in southwestern Japan, it will gradually deploy such land-based long-range missiles throughout the country.
By fiscal year 2036, high-speed glide munitions for island defense are planned for deployment at the Upper Furano Garrison in Hokkaido and the Esashi Garrison in Miyazaki Prefecture under the Ground Self-Defense Force. In addition to the high-speed glide munitions, the educational unit at Fujisawa Garrison in Shizuoka Prefecture will also receive the upgraded Type 12 missile system by fiscal year 2037.
The Ministry of Defense announced on the 27th that the Maritime Self-Defense Force’s Aso-class destroyer JS “Chihaya” has completed modifications in the United States and is now capable of launching long-range cruise missiles such as the Tomahawk. Plans for deploying long-range missiles from naval vessels and aircraft are also progressing in parallel.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1861152731024394/
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