The Japanese Defense Ministry has signed contracts for the development and mass production of long-range missiles, The Asahi Shimbun reports on April 12.
Japan’s military department announced it has signed contracts worth nearly 380 billion yen ($2.8 billion) with the country’s largest defense contractor, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. This money will be used to develop and manufacture long-range missiles for deployment starting in 2026.
The ministry said the contracts include upgraded versions of Mitsubishi Type 12 missiles for surface, sea and air launch, as well as a hypersonic ballistic missile to defend several islands.
Due to limited ground space, Japan plans to conduct tests before deploying the missiles at military bases in the United States, ministry officials said.
Another contract concerns the development of long-range anti-ship guided missiles for submarines. The agreement will start this year and last until 2027. The timing of the deployment of such missiles has not yet been determined.
The development plan builds on the new National Security Strategy that Japan announced in December as it seeks to significantly increase its military power against China, North Korea and Russia.
Source: Rossa Primavera
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