Japan boosts defence with $216 million missile deal

Proceeding from a new article, Defence News unveils that in a bold move to strengthen its defense capabilities, Japan has secured a hefty $216 million deal with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to develop cutting-edge, long-range precision-guided missiles. 

This contract marks a significant step in Japan’s efforts to counter growing regional security threats and enhance its military readiness in the face of an evolving geopolitical landscape.

The contract, which will run until 2028, tasks MHI with developing new ground-to-ground and ground-to-ship missiles. The Ministry of Defense anticipates the missiles’ completion by 2032. The advanced missiles are designed to enhance Japan’s standoff missile capabilities, allowing the country to “prevent and eliminate invading troops.” While specific technical details were not disclosed, the Ministry shared diagrams highlighting the missiles' expected abilities, including precision strikes on land-based targets and ships, even navigating Japan's mountainous terrain.

This initiative is a key element of Japan's broader defense strategy, outlined in its "three white papers"—the National Security Strategy, the National Defense Strategy, and the Defense Buildup Plan. As part of these efforts, Japan has allocated approximately 939 billion yen toward strengthening its standoff defense capabilities, including funding for Type 12 surface-to-ship missiles, submarine-launched guided missiles, and high-velocity gliding missiles for island defense.

In recent developments, Japan has also moved to expand its missile arsenal, including a deal to purchase 400 additional Tomahawk missiles from the United States and plans to deploy some of them a year ahead of schedule. Furthermore, Japan announced a co-production project with the U.S. to develop AIM-120 advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who visited Japan earlier this week, praised Japan as “an indispensable partner in deterring Communist Chinese military aggression.”

By Naila Huseynova