Japan says it will develop long-range missiles as ‘China continues to threaten to use force’ and deepen Russia ties
- A procurement plan unveiled by Japan’s defence ministry on Wednesday shows that its military is seeking the ability to strike more distant targets
- The budget request cited threats from China, Russia, North Korea and increased Taiwan tensions as reasons to develop the missiles
The procurement plan unveiled in the Ministry of Defence’s annual budget request represents a clear departure from a decades-long range limit imposed on Japan’s constitutionally constrained Self Defence Forces, that meant they could only field missiles with ranges of a few hundred kilometres.
“China continues to threaten to use force to unilaterally change the status quo and is deepening its alliance with Russia,” the ministry said in its budget request.
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“It is also applying pressure around Taiwan with supposed military exercises and has not renounced the use of military force as a way to unite Taiwan with the rest of China,” it said.
The budget request is for funding to mass produce ground-launched cruise missiles, an extended range version of the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries designed Type 12 missile already in use, to strike ships, and a new, high-velocity glide ballistic missiles capable of hitting ground targets.