Before a year has passed since its official public debut, Japan is preparing to deploy its most modern anti-ship missile system just 1,000 kilometers from China, seeking to strengthen long-range defensive capabilities in the Indo-Pacific amid the growing naval power of the Asian giant. According to reports from Tokyo, by the end of the current month the first Type 12 missiles are expected to be fully deployed at Camp Kengun, located in Kumamoto Prefecture (in the southwest of the country), something that has already been confirmed by Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara.
Following the arrival of the first launchers late at night—reportedly in a secret operation that was not notified to the prefectural authorities—local residents quickly voiced their opposition through a protest around the camp’s perimeter. Local political opposition figures also raised complaints, mainly arguing that the presence of these new systems would turn the area into a new target for potential adversaries, while increasing tensions by placing them closer to foreign territory.
Transparency concerns also emerged. As an illustrative example, Governor Takashi Kimura stated that he only learned of the deployment after it had already taken place, through the media. The situation has reached the point where the Kyushu regional defense office announced it will hold meetings with some representatives of the local population opposing the decision, even planning visits to the base so they can see the deployed systems firsthand in a demonstration. It is unclear whether this would have any effect if the local population maintains its negative stance.
From a strictly technical standpoint, it is worth recalling that the Type 12 missiles are on track to become the future of Japan’s coastal defense, with one of their defining features being a range of over 1,000 kilometers—placing large portions of China’s mainland coastline within reach. This is a distance far greater than the roughly 200 kilometers originally envisioned for the design, which was revised in later development iterations. It is also known that Tokyo is working on naval-launched variants, aiming to have them ready by 2026, while an air-launched version would become available starting in 2028.
Japan and its new geopolitical posture
Expanding on the broader context, it is worth noting that this would complete a deployment process that was brought forward by one year by decision of the Japanese government, based on the significant progress achieved—while also seeking to consolidate a stronger response capacity in the event of potential Chinese attacks against Taiwan should Beijing opt for reunification by force. With Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi coming to power, Tokyo has hardened its posture on that issue, as well as on Japan’s traditional pacifist stance regarding regional tensions, potential arms exports, and how to organize its armed forces—issues the government intends to address legislatively before the end of the year.
Regarding the island claimed by Beijing, the prime minister even framed military intervention as an obligation for Japan and the United States if necessary, arguing that if Washington chose not to act it would trigger “the collapse” of bilateral relations. At the same time, the island nation has also taken steps to strengthen its defense partnerships, both within Asia and beyond. Clear examples include Japan’s January move to reinforce cooperation agreements with the Philippines focused on mutual supply of ammunition, fuel, food, and other materials—something also achieved with Italy following the visit of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to Tokyo.
Other planned deployments and a defense budget increase
Continuing along this tougher line, it should be highlighted that the Japanese government not only aims to field an expanded anti-ship presence in the near future to strengthen its regional defense, but also intends to broaden the air-defense spectrum through new deployments across the southwestern islands. In particular, the Air Self-Defense Force has positioned Patriot batteries in Miyako, Okinawa, and Ishigaki, forming a wider territorial coverage network. Looking to the medium term, it is also known that Japan plans to deploy air-defense systems on Yonaguni Island, the closest to Taiwan.
Alongside these major political and strategic shifts, it cannot be overlooked that Japan’s 2026 defense budget stands at around 9 trillion yen—nothing less than the highest in its recent history—with nearly 1 trillion yen allocated to developing long-range strike capabilities. Among the programs enabled by these sizeable resources, it is worth highlighting the purchase of new weapons to equip the F-35 and F-15 fighter fleets—especially cruise missiles—as well as the acquisition of new training aircraft to modernize existing capabilities.
Images used for illustrative purposes.
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