Defence Japan to deploy 1,000 anti-ship missiles in the south

[thomas]

The Japanese Defense Ministry is looking to deploy its ground-launched Type-12 standoff missiles and extend their range from around 200 kilometres to more than 1,000 km, mainly to its far-flung southwestern islands and the Kyushu region.

With tensions mounting in the region, the Defense Ministry is set to bring forward by a year to fiscal 2024 part of its plan to extend the range of the Ground Self-Defense Force's Type-12 surface-to-ship guided missiles, with the associated costs to be included in its budget request for fiscal 2023. The ministry is seeking a record budget of over 5.5 trillion yen ($40 billion) for the next fiscal year, with the amount likely to further balloon after unspecified costs for around 100 items are finalized, the sources said. In making its estimate, the Japanese government researched the number of missiles, and the required budget, that would be needed to counter Chinese missiles, based on the assumption that Beijing possesses a large number of missiles that can be used to attack Japan.

Japan eyes stockpiling 1,000 long-range missiles amid China tensions

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asia.nikkei.com

The Type 12 Surface-to-Ship Missile (12式地対艦誘導弾) is a truck-mounted anti-ship missile developed by Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in 2012. The MoD approved developing an improved version of the Type 12 SSM. According to Japanese newspapers, the range will be extended from 200 km to 900 km, with a future target of 1,500 km.

Type 12 Surface-to-Ship Missile - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[johnnyG]

Looking over the wikipedia entries, they seem to be about the same size as the exocet and harpoon, and the range is already equal to or much better than those. And tho those have undoubtedly been modernized, the type 12 is otherwise much newer--probably some advantage to that.

Do you suppose 1000 is enough...?

Anyway, I'd recommend putting some of them on the Senkaku Islands.

 

[thomas]

Anyway, I'd recommend putting some of them on the Senkaku Islands.

TBH, I was surprised by how many types of missiles Japan has developed domestically. That must be a splendid business for Fujitsu and MHI!

I think the extended missile screen will cover the Senkakus.

 

[johnnyG]

Cruise missile defenses are a real thing, and of course that's in consideration of being able to defend against a missile or two.

This is the problem the US faces in the persian gulf--how to defend against a (large) cluster of speedboats coming at you all at once. That's apparently pretty hard.

In this case it would be a cluster of cruise missiles, not speedboats, moving many hundreds of km/hr, coming at you.

*

I still think the senkaku are too open/unguarded. A bunch of armed "fishing boats", swarming the islands...?

 

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

Okinawa Kadena Air Base Air Defense Simulation