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| Japanese Military To Accelerate Deployment Of Upgraded Version Of Type 12 Anti-Ship Missile |
Tokyo - The Japanese military plans to accelerate the deployment of an upgraded version of the Type 12 anti-ship missile. This was announced by the Japanese newspaper, Mainichi Shimbun. Reportedly, the Type 12 missile is currently under development.
Quoted from Bulgarian Military, the Japanese Ministry of Defense said "Anticipating the rise of China, Japan will accelerate the strengthening of its defense capabilities,". The Department of Defense white paper, published in late July 2022, offers a first look at the Type 12 missile.
A photo provided by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, manufacturer of the Type 12, shows the missile shaped like the AGM-158 JASSM. That missile is designated as Type 12.
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| Type 12 Anti-Ship Missile |
The Type 12 surface-to-ship missile initially had a range of about 200 kilometers. The new upgraded version aims to increase the flight range to at least 900 km and eventually to 1,200 km. The shape of the rocket is also changed to be invisible.
The upgraded Type 12 will also execute "Recent Orders (UDTC)" which allows the missile to receive target information from satellite communications in flight. It is also claimed to more accurately display a moving target.
This missile capability update was adopted by the Japanese government in 2020, largely amid China's naval expansion and military build-up. Missiles must safely strike enemy Navy ships beyond the range of enemy anti-aircraft missiles. The modernized missile will be developed not only in an ordinary land version, but also in a ship and aircraft version.
Quoted from Naval News, Japan has recently deployed weapons at high speed. This is mainly motivated by the growth of China's military power. One example is the Hyper-Velocity Glide Projectile (HVGP) currently being developed for the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF).
The HVGP is divided into two development phases, namely Block 1 for initial deployment and Block 2 for higher performance. HVGP is also launched from a mobile land launcher. This was intended to prevent the Chinese military from invading remote Japanese islands, including the Senkaku Islands.
This is because the Howitzer and Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) currently deployed by the JGSDF are insufficient in terms of range. For this reason, it is very important to use an HVGP that has a range of at least a few hundred kilometers.