As part of the recent Fuji Firepower 2025 exercises—held at the Higashi-Fuji training ground located in Shizuoka Prefecture and considered the largest-scale drills scheduled for the year—the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force has officially unveiled its new Type 12 anti-ship missile system. This is an advanced system designed to be operated from coastal positions, which, according to local sources, will form part of a counterstrike capability network with the power to neutralize enemy ships and bases at long ranges.
In detail, Japanese reports describe that the new Type 12 anti-ship missile system stands out for offering a strike range up to 1,000 kilometers greater than its predecessor, in addition to incorporating stealth features that would make detection by the enemy more difficult. During the same event where it was unveiled, the platform carried out various combat maneuvers, which included pointing its four launchers skyward—demonstrating its capabilities to the audience present, among whom were high school students invited by the force.
It is worth recalling that Japan’s most modern coastal defense asset had already been seen conducting its first missile tests in December of last year, carried out on Nikijima Island, south of Tokyo. On that occasion, the launcher—consisting of two cells—had been integrated with an eight-wheeled vehicle, a feature that provides greater mobility to the system, which has been specifically designed with a focus on China and its naval activities in the region.
Following that logic, the Japanese Defense Ministry decided to increase the system’s range from around 200 kilometers in its early versions to a significantly greater 1,200 kilometers in the most current units. Additionally, it is useful to note that while the land-based variant is being developed, Japanese authorities have also made progress on a naval version scheduled for completion in 2026; meanwhile, a final air-to-surface version is being developed with the aim of being completed by 2028.
*Images used for illustrative purposes
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