Japan’s Ministry of Defense has signed two major contracts with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) to initiate mass production of a new submarine-launched guided missile and an upgraded Type 12 surface-to-ship missile. The move comes as Tokyo continues to strengthen its stand-off defense capabilities amid growing regional tensions with China and North Korea.
The twin deals are valued at approximately 2.9 billion yen ($19 million) for the submarine-launched missile and 25 billion yen ($164 million) for the improved Type 12 missile. The upgraded Type 12 is scheduled to enter service by fiscal year 2027, while the submarine-launched variant is expected to become operational around 2028. Both weapons are designed to provide Japan with extended-range precision strike options against land and maritime targets.
Japan’s Ministry of Defense emphasized that these efforts are part of a broader plan to enhance long-range strike and deterrence capabilities, allowing the Self-Defense Forces to neutralize threats before they reach Japanese territory. The ministry stated that accelerating the domestic production of stand-off missiles remains a priority to ensure readiness and independence in future conflicts.
The Type 12 upgrade program, launched in 2022, aims to extend the missile’s range from 200 to at least 900 kilometers while incorporating stealthier design elements and new land-attack features. Each missile weighs about 680 kilograms and is mounted on an eight-wheeled truck launcher carrying six rounds. It employs GPS and terrain-contour navigation with an active electronically scanned array (AESA) seeker for precise target discrimination.
Meanwhile, the new submarine-launched cruise missile will offer a significant range and capability boost over the Harpoon Block II currently in service, which reaches about 129 kilometers. Developed under a 2023 MHI contract, the weapon is intended to strike enemy missile launch sites from long distances and could share design lineage with the upgraded Type 12. These developments follow Japan’s April contract with MHI to produce additional long-range surface-to-ship and surface-to-surface missiles expected to enter service in the early 2030s.
