Japan has awarded Mitsubishi Heavy Industries twin contracts to commence mass production of a submarine-launched guided missile and an improved Type 12 surface-to-ship missile amid rising threats from China and North Korea.
The contract for the torpedo tube-launched missile for submarines is reportedly valued at approximately 2.9 billion yen ($19 million), while the contract for the upgraded Type 12 surface-to-ship missile is worth around 25 billion yen ($164 million).
The upgraded Type 12 missile is expected to enter service in fiscal year 2027, while the submarine-launched missile is projected to become operational as early as 2028.
The deals are intended to bolster Tokyo’s stand-off defense capabilities against both land targets and warships.
“The Ministry of Defense and the Self-Defense Forces are strengthening their stand-off defense capabilities in order to intercept and eliminate invading forces against Japan at an early stage and at a long distance,” Japan’s Ministry of Defense stated.
“In order to quickly build and strengthen this capability, they are currently working to acquire domestically produced stand-off missiles as soon as possible.”
Upgraded Type 12
Japan began upgrading its indigenous Type 12 anti-ship missile in 2022 to extend its range from 200 kilometers (124 miles) to a minimum of 900 kilometers (559 miles).
The upgrade includes design modifications to reduce the missile’s radar cross-section and to add land-attack capability.
The Type 12 is mounted on an eight-wheeled truck launcher, with each vehicle carrying six missiles weighing about 680 kilograms (1,500 pounds).
The missile uses a combination of GPS and terrain-contour mapping for navigation and features an active electronically scanned array radar seeker that can determine whether a ship is a valid target.
Sub-Launched Missile
The new sub-launched cruise missile will provide extended range and land attack capability compared with the current Harpoon Block II anti-ship missile, which has a range of roughly 129 kilometers (80 miles).
The Japanese government contracted Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in 2023 to develop the missile, with the goal of deploying it to target enemy missile launch sites.
Although not officially confirmed, the missile could be based on the upgraded Type 12.
The deals follow a contract awarded to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in April to develop new long-range, surface-to-ship and surface-to-surface precision missiles.
The missiles will be compatible with existing Type 12 surface-to-ship missile launchers and are expected to enter service in 2032.
