TOKYO (AP) — Japan plans to deploy its domestically developed long-range missiles a year earlier than planned, the Defense Ministry announced Friday, as the country steps up efforts to strengthen its strike-back capability in response to rising challenges in the region.
Under the new schedule, a first batch of the domestically developed Type-12 anti-ship missiles will be installed at its army's Camp Kengun in Japan's southwestern prefecture of Kmuamoto by March 2026, the ministry said. The Type-12 missile has a range of about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles).
Japan is seeking to create a more self-sufficient military as a deterrence against China’s increasingly assertive naval activity in regional seas. Japan in June spotted two Chinese aircraft carriers almost simultaneously operating near southern Japanese islands for the first time.
Japan also has concerns about the rising tensions caused by North Korea and Russia.
These efforts mark a historic shift. Japan, under its post-World War II pacifist constitution, used to limit the use of force for self-defense only. But it made a major break from that policy in 2022 when it adopted a five-year security strateg y that names China as its biggest strategic challenge and calls for a closer Japan-U.S. alliance and more offensive roles for Japan's Self-Defense Forces.
The country is boosting military spending to 2% of GDP by 2027 from an earlier level of about 1% under the buildup plan, while facing pressure from the United States, a treaty ally, to do more.
The announcement of the accelerated missile schedule coincides with a ministry request for a record 8.8 trillion yen ($59.9 billion) in the fiscal 2026 budget to focus on long-range missiles and drones to counter threats from China, North Korea, and Russia.
With domestically produced missiles still under development, Japan plan to deploy U.S.-developed Tomahawks later this year.
The ministry is also seeking to deploy unmanned air, sea-surface and underwater drones for surveillance to defend Japanese coastlines, as a country with an aging and declining population struggles with an understaffed military.
Mari Yamaguchi, The Associated Press
