Seeking to boost the development of new HVGP hypersonic missiles, the United States Department of State announced that it will support the program through the potential sale of a significant support package to Japan, which would amount to up to 340 million dollars. According to the official statement released by the department, this package will focus on assisting in the preparation and execution of tests related to the aforementioned weapon system, as well as various transport tasks and other services associated with them.
Expanding on the details of the announcement, the U.S. government indicated that the funds would be used to ensure the availability of a test range, the monitoring of facilities and systems to be tested, the allocation of radio frequencies, and the development of a series of trials that the new HVGP hypersonic missile must pass. In addition, sensors will be provided to obtain detailed data during testing, along with environmental studies and other types of services that reflect close cooperation between Tokyo and Washington within the framework of this program.
Regarding these issues, the State Department stated: “This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of an important ally that serves as a force for political stability and economic progress in the Indo-Pacific. The proposed sale will enhance Japan’s capability to address current and future threats by providing defense for remote islands. Japan will have no difficulty integrating these articles and services into its armed forces.”
It is worth recalling at this point that Japan first presented the new HVGP hypersonic missile launcher, developed to equip the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, in June 2025, in the context of the Fuji Firepower Exercise 2025. As previously reported, this took place at the Higashi-Fuji Training Area, located in Shizuoka Prefecture, where the institution showcased a TEL-type launcher mounted on an eight-wheeled truck providing mobility to the system as a whole.
On the other hand, it is worth noting that Japan has also conducted prior exercises with its modern HVGP systems, aiming to demonstrate their ability to operate in difficult terrain and the possibility of transporting them aboard a Kawasaki C-2of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. These are by no means minor considerations, given that the systems are specifically designed to be deployed on remote islands of the Japanese archipelago to ensure greater coverage of the waters under its control, with particular emphasis on the growing naval activity of China in the region, as outlined in the “Defense Buildup Program” published in 2022.
*Images used for illustrative purposes.
You may also like: With U.S. support, Japan tested the SPY-7 radar that will equip the Maritime Self-Defense Force’s new ASEV destroyers
