Japan will commission its latest “ship killer” missiles one year earlier than originally planned, its defence ministry said, citing the need to counter regional threats including China’s growing military might.
- Japan faces ‘severe’ security environment, defence chief says in white paper, lists China’s military and naval moves as primary challenge
Japan will commission its latest “ship killer” missiles one year earlier than originally planned, its defence ministry said, citing the need to counter regional threats including China’s growing military might.
Details of the upgraded Type-12 surface-to-ship missile were revealed in the Japanese defence ministry’s annual white paper published earlier this month.
According to the white paper, the upgraded missile had “stood various trials on the ground” and would be ready for deployment next year – 12 months ahead of schedule.
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Japan’s hypersonic weapons will also be ready for delivery in 2026, three years after mass production began, the ministry revealed, as the country aims for stronger stand-off and hypersonic missile capabilities.
Japan faced a “severe and complex security environment”, Minister of Defence Minoru Kihara said in the white paper, listing China’s rapid military build up and intensifying naval activities as a primary challenge.
