Japan modernizes its army with new missiles

Japan’s Self-Defense Forces have adopted new long-range missile systems under the Type 25 designation. Two samples of Japan’s own development have been put into serial production: an advanced coastal missile for hitting surface targets and a hypersonic planning unit. For Tokyo, this means a shift from a purely defensive concept to deterring threats on the far reaches.

The name Type 25 is in line with the Japanese practice of naming military equipment by the fiscal year of its entry into service. The new line includes an upgraded version of the Type 12 missile and a hypersonic gliding vehicle, the Hyper Velocity Gliding Projectile (HVGP). Both systems became the first fully Japanese stand-off missile systems to be delivered to combat units. Stand-off systems are capable of hitting targets from a long distance, without the launcher approaching the enemy’s strike zone.

The most significant change concerns the range. If the basic version of the Type 12 had much more modest characteristics, the updated version, according to specialized publications, is capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 1,000 kilometers. For the Japanese armed forces, this is a fundamental difference. The system now allows strikes not only on ships near their own shores, but also on ground targets, including positions from which enemy missiles can be launched.

The guidance system has also undergone significant changes. The missile descriptions mention modern targeting tools and networked data exchange, which should improve accuracy and simplify work on moving targets. For long-range systems, this capability is particularly critical: the farther away the target is, the higher the requirements for reconnaissance, coordinate transmission, and constant real-time situational awareness.

The second element of the new line — HVGP — belongs to a fundamentally different class of weapons. The hypersonic planning unit is capable of changing the flight path, which significantly complicates its interception by traditional missile defense systems. Japan sees the HVGP primarily as a means of protecting remote islands. For a country with a long island arc and constant attention to disputed areas, this task is quite practical.