Japan tests long-range Type 12 missile as counterstrike capability against China grows

Japan has reached a significant milestone in developing its long-range strike capabilities with the recent flight testing of the air-launched variant of its upgraded Type 12 anti-ship missile. This weapon boasts a reported range of approximately 1,000 kilometers (620 miles), a substantial increase from previous iterations.

Photographs captured by aviation enthusiasts on July 30 at Gifu airbase in central Japan provided the first public confirmation of the test. These images showed a Mitsubishi F-2B fighter jet carrying two inert examples of the missile, indicating a crucial step in verifying the missile's aerodynamic characteristics and structural loads before live-fire testing.

This advancement is a key component of Japan's strategic push for domestically developed, multi-domain counterstrike capabilities. The ground-launched version, known as the Type 25, entered service in March, extending the range of Japan's anti-ship missile force. Ship- and air-launched variants are anticipated to be operational around the next financial year, with a submarine-launched version also under development.

Yoshihiro Inaba, a defense expert and Japan correspondent for the Naval News website, highlighted the strategic implications of the air-launched variant. He explained that its platform flexibility makes it considerably more challenging for Chinese forces to anticipate the origin of potential strikes. "The introduction of this upgraded Type 12 fundamentally changes this equation by allowing strikes to be launched from the airspace over Kyushu, and even Honshu," Inaba stated.

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The introduction of this upgraded Type 12 fundamentally changes this equation by allowing strikes to be launched from the airspace over Kyushu, and even Honshu.