Arya News - The Type-25 missile has an estimated range of more than 1,000 kilometres, potentially putting China’s coastal areas and North Korea within reach. By acquiring the ability to neutralise an adversary’s forces, Japan hopes to deter potential attacks.
TOKYO – Training with the Type-25 surface-to-ship guided missile, a long-range stand-off weapon that the Japanese government considers a cornerstone of its counterstrike capabilities, was opened to the media for the first time on Sunday at the Ground Self-Defense Force’s Onohara Maneuver Area, which straddles Nagasaki and Saga prefectures.
The government plans to expand the deployment of such missiles and conduct more drills, particularly with China’s growing maritime activities in mind. But concerns persist among residents that areas hosting the weapons could become targets of enemy attacks, prompting experts to call for more thorough explanations to the public.
Stand-off missiles are designed to strike invading warships and enemy missile launch sites from a distance. The Type-25 missile has an estimated range of more than 1,000 kilometers, potentially putting China’s coastal areas and North Korea within reach. By acquiring the ability to neutralize an adversary’s forces, Japan hopes to deter potential attacks.
ILLUSTRATION: THE YOMIURI SHIMBUN
The drill was conducted as part of Keen Sword, an ongoing joint exercise involving the Self-Defense Forces and the U.S. military.
A Type-25 surface-to-ship missile system deployed in March at the GSDF’s Camp Kengun in Kumamoto was transported to the training area. Here, personnel practiced procedures for activating its launcher in a simulated operation to intercept enemy warships.
Although no live missiles were fired, the exercise included a process known as targeting, in which the positions of enemy vessels were identified using intelligence gathered by Japan and the United States.
A senior Defense Ministry official emphasized the exercise’s significance.
“The fact that Japan and the United States were able to conduct a coordinated exercise involving missiles with counterstrike capabilities will help strengthen deterrence against neighboring countries,” the official said.
The Defense Ministry plans to deploy additional Type-25 surface-to-ship missiles at Camp Kengun during the current fiscal year and introduce them at Camp Fuji in Shizuoka Prefecture in fiscal 2027.
It also plans to deploy the Type-25 hyper velocity gliding projectile at GSDF camps in Kamifurano, Hokkaido and Ebino, Miyazaki Prefecture, during the current fiscal year. The projectile travels at speeds exceeding the speed of sound and at high altitudes, making it difficult to intercept, and has an estimated range of several hundred kilometers.
In fiscal 2027, the ministry intends to begin operating similar missiles that can be launched from destroyers and fighter jets. Deployment drills involving these weapons will be conducted in stages.
However, opposition has emerged among residents near Camp Kengun.
The chairman of a council comprising local neighborhood associations and other groups voiced concern about the risks of hosting the missiles.
“I’m worried that Kengun could become a target [in the event of a conflict],” he said.
Defense Ministry officials considered deploying the missiles to Okinawa Prefecture’s Sakishima Islands for the latest exercise but ultimately abandoned the plan.
Yoshitaka Nakayama, the mayor of Ishigaki, Okinawa Prefecture, has opposed the deployment of stand-off missiles to the area, citing its proximity to China.
“There is no need to conduct such drills in Ishigaki,” Nakayama said in an interview on Thursday.
Ken Jimbo, a professor of security studies at Keio University, stressed the importance of preparing to deploy the missiles to different locations.
“Training that involves the rapid deployment of missiles to various locations is essential for operating these weapons,” Jimbo said. “The government needs to carefully explain why this equipment is necessary for Japan’s security and gain public understanding.”
Japan races to strengthen counterstrike capabilities
With China, Russia and North Korea stepping up their military activities around Japan, the government is seeking to strengthen deterrence by making its counterstrike capabilities more effective.
Japan’s decision to acquire counterstrike capabilities was explicitly stated in its National Security Strategy, revised in 2022.
The strategy envisions striking targets such as missile launch bases inside an adversary’s territory to prevent further attacks after Japan has come under armed attack.
Although the Self-Defense Forces have begun deploying long-range missiles, their ammunition stockpiles remain insufficient to sustain combat operations in the event of a conflict. The government plans to continue acquiring foreign-made missiles, including U.S.-made Tomahawk cruise missiles, while supporting efforts to expand domestic missile production capacity.
It also intends to introduce low-cost drones capable of carrying out long-range strikes.
During its aggression against Ukraine, Russia has used long-range missiles alongside inexpensive drones in combined attacks. Drawing lessons from such new forms of warfare, Japan aims to diversify its offensive capabilities.
The effective use of counterstrike capabilities also requires the ability to pinpoint potential targets, including mobile missile launchers and warships. To strengthen its intelligence-gathering capabilities, Japan plans to expand its satellite constellations, in which large numbers of small satellites operate as an integrated network.
The goal is to establish a system capable of continuously tracking potential targets even as they move.
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