In a significant move that underscores Japan’s growing focus on national defense and regional deterrence, the Japanese Ministry of Defense (MoD) has awarded Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) a ¥32 billion ($219 million) contract to develop a new long-range, precision-guided missile. The announcement, made on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, reflects Tokyo’s increasing emphasis on bolstering standoff strike capabilities amid an increasingly unstable security environment in East Asia.
The missile, intended for both surface-to-ship and surface-to-surface roles, is expected to enter service by fiscal year 2032 and will be compatible with existing Type 12 SSM launchers, providing a streamlined path to deployment and integration across Japan’s Self-Defense Forces.
Few specifics about the new missile’s technical features have been released, but early visual materials shared by the MoD show a sleek, stealth-influenced design. The rendering, lacking visible air intakes and featuring both wings and tail control surfaces, hints at a low radar cross-section (RCS) profile—an increasingly common feature in modern missile development aimed at reducing detectability by enemy radar systems.
Experts caution that the rendering appears to be an early, low-fidelity concept image, and the final missile design could diverge significantly. However, the MoD has confirmed that the missile will incorporate advanced targeting technology, leveraging satellite-based intelligence and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) data streams to boost accuracy and responsiveness.
This capability is a significant step forward in Japan’s indigenous strike portfolio. It aligns with broader trends in missile warfare, where stand-off weapons with networked guidance systems are fast becoming a standard for advanced militaries.
The decision to make the new missile compatible with existing Type 12 SSM infrastructure is both economical and strategic. The Type 12 missile, itself an evolution of the Type 88, is a truck-launched anti-ship missile that has formed the backbone of Japan’s coastal defense in recent years. An upgraded Type 12 variant featuring a redesigned, stealthier exterior was unveiled in mid-2024, showcasing improved range and enhanced targeting capabilities.
This updated model is expected to complement the new Mitsubishi missile, creating a tiered and flexible strike capability that can adapt to a range of conflict scenarios, particularly in the island-heavy geography of Japan’s southwestern approaches.
Japan’s move to commission a new indigenous standoff missile is just one component of a wider defense modernization push. Currently, the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) operates a suite of air-launched anti-ship weapons, including the older Type 80 (ASM-1) and Type 93 (ASM-2) missiles. Both are due for phased retirement as the supersonic ASM-3 missile enters service in the coming years.
The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), meanwhile, employs the Type 90 ship-launched missile, a naval derivative of the Type 88. The commonality of these systems underscores Japan’s strategic preference for evolutionary upgrades to core platforms rather than radical overhauls—a philosophy that allows for quicker development timelines and lower integration costs.
Also in advanced development is Kawasaki Heavy Industries’ “New SSM,” a land-based missile tailored for deployment across Japan’s Nansei (Southwestern) Islands chain. Designed for long-range precision strikes and mobility, the New SSM is widely seen as part of Japan’s broader anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) strategy aimed at deterring amphibious or air incursions in contested zones.
In addition to domestic developments, Japan has increasingly turned to foreign suppliers to supplement its missile inventory. In January 2024, Japan signed a landmark deal to procure 400 BGM-109 Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAM) from the United States. These missiles, capable of being launched from JMSDF vessels, significantly extend Japan’s reach into potential adversaries’ territory and represent a game-changing shift in Japan’s once-restrained military doctrine.
Tokyo has also invested in the acquisition of the AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM), which is compatible with the JASDF’s F-15 and F-35 fighters. This gives Japan a powerful, precision-strike capability that can be launched well outside the range of enemy air defenses.
Together, these acquisitions and developments point to a consistent pattern: Japan is rapidly assembling a multi-platform, long-range strike ecosystem designed for deterrence, flexibility, and survivability.
Not content with subsonic and supersonic options alone, Japan is also investing in hypersonic weaponry. Efforts are underway to develop a next-generation hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) platform that would be capable of traveling at speeds exceeding Mach 5, with the maneuverability needed to evade interception.
While the timeline for the hypersonic system’s deployment remains uncertain, government sources suggest that development is progressing steadily. The inclusion of hypersonics in Japan’s arsenal would mark another milestone in its evolution from a strictly defensive posture to a more comprehensive deterrence strategy.
The urgency behind Japan’s defense buildup is largely driven by regional dynamics. North Korea’s missile testing has become both more frequent and more provocative, with recent launches flying over or near Japanese territory. In 2024 alone, North Korea launched a record number of ballistic missiles, many of which triggered air raid warnings across northern Japan.
Simultaneously, China has expanded its military footprint in the East China Sea and beyond, increasing aerial patrols and naval incursions into the waters surrounding the Senkaku Islands—administered by Japan but claimed by Beijing. Chinese military aircraft have been reported entering Japan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) with increasing regularity, prompting scrambled responses from JASDF fighters.
The United States remains Japan’s closest military ally, but comments from the Trump administration regarding America’s willingness to uphold certain defense treaties—paired with ongoing trade tensions—have introduced a layer of strategic uncertainty.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who took office in October 2024, has advocated for a stronger, more autonomous Japanese defense capability. A long-time defense policy hawk and self-described “defense geek,” Ishiba has consistently championed increased military spending, constitutional reform to allow collective defense, and the creation of multilateral security partnerships.
In a bold policy speech delivered earlier this year, Ishiba proposed the formation of an “Asian NATO,” a regional security bloc modeled on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. While the proposal remains in its conceptual stages, it has drawn tentative interest from countries such as Australia, the Philippines, and India—all of whom have faced their own challenges with Chinese maritime assertiveness.
Whether such an alliance will materialize remains uncertain, but Ishiba’s pitch signals a broader shift in Japanese foreign policy—from passive reliance on U.S. security guarantees to proactive coalition-building and power projection.
In late March, Japanese defense officials revealed they are considering new missile battery deployments on Kyushu, Japan’s southernmost main island. Located near the maritime chokepoints between the East China Sea and the Pacific, Kyushu is a strategic location for both air defense and offensive strike missions.
The proposed batteries would be equipped with the upgraded Type 12 missile and could potentially bring parts of coastal China and most of North Korea within targeting range. These deployments would add a counter-strike layer to existing Patriot and Aegis missile defense systems stationed across the island.
Such moves are likely to raise tensions with Beijing and Pyongyang, but Tokyo appears undeterred, framing the deployments as essential to national security.
Public sentiment in Japan has gradually shifted in favor of stronger national defense measures, particularly following several high-profile missile incidents in recent years. A growing number of Japanese voters support revisions to Article 9 of the constitution—the clause that renounces war as a sovereign right and limits Japan’s military to strictly defensive operations.
Prime Minister Ishiba, with his defense-heavy cabinet and nationalist appeal, has the political capital to push such reforms further than his predecessors. However, he faces resistance from pacifist factions and coalition partners wary of overreach.
Still, with regional threats growing and public support trending upward, the government appears emboldened to make defense investments that would have been politically unthinkable just a decade ago.
Japan’s decision to move forward with a new long-range missile project marks a significant milestone in its ongoing defense transformation. As Tokyo balances its long-standing alliance with Washington against the need for greater autonomy, the new Mitsubishi missile serves as both a practical military asset and a symbol of evolving strategic identity.
From hypersonic weapons to regional alliances, Japan is signaling that it intends to shape the future of Indo-Pacific security—not merely react to it. And as the threat landscape continues to evolve, so too will Japan’s military doctrine, technology, and geopolitical posture.
