Launcher for the long-range Type 12 surface-to-ship guided missile (upgraded version) on display at the GSDF's Camp Kengun in Kumamoto City, morning of March 17. (©Sankei)
On March 31, Japan's Defense Ministry will for the first time deploy long-range missiles equipped with so-called counterstrike capabilities.
The systems will bring parts of China's coastal regions and North Korea within range, a move expected to bolster deterrence and contribute to regional peace and stability.
Over the next decade, the ministry plans to roll out similar deployments nationwide, accelerating efforts to build a missile network on the archipelago.
Strike from Afar
Counterstrike capabilities — the ability to destroy missile bases and other targets in an adversary's territory for self-defense purposes — were explicitly outlined in the "three national security documents," including the National Security Strategy adopted at the end of 2022.
Long-range missiles form a key component of this capability, enabling standoff attacks outside the adversary's threat range. The concept has been positioned as a central pillar of Japan's defense buildup.
The deployment on Tuesday will take place at the Ground Self-Defense Force's Camp Kengun in Kumamoto City. A ground-launched variant of the domestically developed upgraded Type 12 surface-to-ship guided missile, which fires from a mobile launcher, will be introduced.
With a range of about 1,000 kilometers, it can reach parts of China's coast as well as waters around Taiwan.
Bridging the Missile Gap
On the same day, the Ground Self-Defense Force will also deploy its Hyper Velocity Gliding Projectile for island defense to a training unit at Camp Fuji in Shizuoka Prefecture.
According to sources, the version to be fielded is an "early equipment model" with a range of several hundred kilometers. Meanwhile, the Defense Ministry is working to extend its range to around 2,000 kilometers in future upgrades.
The US Department of Defense reported that China has expanded its inventory of intermediate-range ballistic missiles — with ranges of 1,000 to 3,000 kilometers — from more than 150 in 2020 to around 1,300 over the past four years.
Because the US has not fielded ground-launched intermediate-range missiles, this has raised concerns over a growing asymmetry in military capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region.
Japan's Defense Ministry plans to steadily deploy these ground-launched long-range missiles across the country to reinforce defense capabilities in the southwestern region, where they have been relatively thin.
Missile Network Expands
In fiscal 2026, the Ground Self-Defense Force plans to further deploy the Hyper Velocity Gliding Projectile to Camp Kamifurano in Hokkaido and Camp Ebino in Miyazaki Prefecture.
In addition to the gliding projectile, the upgraded Type 12 missile is slated to be introduced to a training unit at Camp Fuji in Shizuoka Prefecture in fiscal 2027.
Earlier, on March 27, the ministry announced that upgrades to the Maritime Self-Defense Force's Aegis destroyer Chokai had been completed in the United States. The refit has given the vessel the capability to launch long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles.
Plans are also underway to deploy long-range missiles that can be launched from ships and aircraft.
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Author: The Sankei Shimbun
(Read this article in Japanese)
