Japan mulls extending high-speed missile range to defend Diaoyu Islands, say sources

Japan is considering extending the range of a new high-speed missile to defend the disputed and uninhabited islands that it calls the Senkakus

The envisioned upgrade will come at a time when Japan is ramping up its deterrence amid North Korean nuclear, missile threats and China’s military assertiveness

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A China Coast Guard ship cruising near Japan’s territorial waters around the Diaoyu Islands, southern Japan, on August 30, 2021. The Islands have long been a source of friction for Tokyo and Beijing, which claims the group of uninhabited islets in the East China Sea. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 10:12pm, 30 Oct 2022

Japan is considering extending the range of a new high-speed missile, still in the developmental stage, beyond 1,000km to better defend its remote islands including the Diaoyu Islands that China claims as its sovereign territory but which Japan controls and refers to as the Senkaku Islands, government sources said on Sunday.

The envisioned upgrade of the land-based, long-range missile will put China’s coastal areas and North Korea within its range, at a time when Japan is ramping up its deterrence amid North Korean nuclear and missile threats and China’s military assertiveness, the sources said.

The Islands have long been a source of friction for Tokyo and Beijing, which claims the group of uninhabited islets in the East China Sea.

North Korea has been launching ballistic missiles at an unprecedented pace since the start of this year including one that flew over Japan.

The missile Japan is hoping to develop contains a number of features that will make it difficult to intercept.

After it is fired from a mobile launcher, the warhead separates at high altitude and travels on an irregular trajectory before gliding at supersonic speed toward its target.

Research on the missile began in fiscal 2018, and current prototypes have a range of several hundred kilometres. These are expected to be mass-produced from next financial year and deployed in fiscal 2026. The improved version will extend the range beyond 1,000km.