Ground-launched test of the enhanced Type-12 surface-to-ship missile, Niijima Islands, October 2024. (courtesy of ATLA)
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Japan's Ministry of Defense announced on August 29 that it will deploy the enhanced Type 12 surface-to-ship missile to the Ground Self-Defense Force's Camp Kengun in Kumamoto City.
The Type 12, Japan's first domestically developed long-range missile, is scheduled to begin deployment in March 2026, with the 5th Surface-to-Ship Missile Regiment at Camp Kengun assuming operational responsibility.
The move is aimed at strengthening defenses in the southwest amid concerns over a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan. It will mark the first time the country has possessed counterstrike capability (enemy base attack capability) since the Self-Defense Forces were established in 1954.
Starting in 2027, the missile will also be deployed to the Artillery School Unit at the Ground Self-Defense Force's Camp Fuji in Koyama Town, Shizuoka Prefecture.
Missile Deployment Plans
The Type 12 missile is mainly ground-launched and has a range of about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles). Since parts of the Chinese mainland are within reach even from Kyushu, deploying the missile to Kumamoto holds strategic importance. The move underscores Japan's goal to monitor China, which is ramping up its military pressure.
The Ministry of Defense also announced plans to advance the deployment of the Type 12 missile's air-launched variant, carried by fighter aircraft, and the ship-launched variant, deployed from naval vessels, to 2027. This moves up the schedule from the originally planned 2028 or later.
F-2 fighter jets at the Japan Air Self-Defense Force's Hyakuri Air Base in Omitama City, Ibaraki Prefecture, will carry the air-launched variant. The ship-launched version will be stationed on the destroyer Teruzuki, based at the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force's Yokosuka Base in Yokosuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture.
The deployment of the Hyper Velocity Gliding Projectile for island defense will likewise be moved up from the original plan. It will first be stationed with the Artillery School Unit at Camp Fuji in the fiscal year 2027. In 2028, newly established units will be deployed at the Ground Self-Defense Force's Camp Kamifurano in Kamifurano Town, Hokkaido, and at the Camp Ebino in Ebino City, Miyazaki Prefecture.
Broadening Counterstrike Capabilities
In addition, the Ministry will procure United States-made Tomahawk cruise missiles between FY 2025 and 2027 for use as part of Japan's counterstrike capabilities. On August 29, the Ministry also held briefings for host municipalities, seeking to gain an understanding of local residents.
The ability to conduct counterstrikes was explicitly set out in the National Security Strategy formulated four years ago. Its objective is to deter attacks on Japan by maintaining the capability to strike enemy missile bases.
At a press conference on the 29th, Defense Minister Gen Nakatani stressed the importance of developing long-range missiles. "To defend an area extending 3,000 kilometers in all directions, it is essential to possess the capability to deter and repel an invasion wherever it may occur," he said.
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Author: The Sankei Shimbun
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