Japan to Develop "Domestic Tomahawk" with Range of 2,000 km and New Type-12 Anti-ship Missile Extended to 1,500 km

31 Desember 2020

New cruise missiles will be developed by Japan (photo : Sankei Shimbun)

It was revealed on the 28th that the range of the new anti-ship guided bullets that the government is conducting research and development will reach about 2,000 kilometers. If the deployment is realized, it will be the longest range of missiles owned by the Self-Defense Forces. Apart from this, it was also found that a plan to extend the range of the Type 12 surface-to-ship guided bullet operated by the Ground Self-Defense Force to 1500 km in the future has emerged. By promoting the development of long-range missiles that can be called "domestic Tomahawks," the aim is to strengthen the deterrence of the Self-Defense Forces. Several government officials have revealed.

The Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency began research on the new anti-ship guided ammunition in 2018, and by the second year of Reiwa, a total of 10.5 billion yen was allocated. The company plans to develop a prototype by FY4 and conduct performance tests within the same year.

The range is about 2,000 km, and even if it is launched from Japan on the ground, China and North Korea will be in range. We will also pursue stealth ability to reduce the detectability from radar and high mobility to prevent interception from enemies with complicated movements. In addition to ground launch, it also enables launch from ships and aircraft.

Type 12 land-to-ship cruise missile (photo : Wiki)

The range of the Type 12 surface-to-ship guided ammunition was decided to be extended by a cabinet meeting on the 18th of this month. For the time being, it will be extended from the conventional 200 km to 900 km, but the final goal is 1500 km.

In 2017, the government decided to acquire the Norwegian-made "JSM" (range 500 km) to be mounted on the F35 fighter and the US-made "JASSM" and "LRASM" (both range 900 km) to be mounted on the F15 fighter it was. The new anti-ship guided missiles and the Type-12 range far exceed these, and are comparable to the US cruise missile "Tomahawk," which has a range of more than 1,600 kilometers.

Regarding the introduction of long-range missiles, the government explained that it "effectively blocks the opponent's attacks while ensuring the safety of SDF personnel." The aim is to make it easier to deal with the situation by having a missile that exceeds the range of the opponent, and it is mainly envisioned to defend the islands.

When deployed in the Nansei Islands, 1500 km will cover Pyongyang and 2,000 km will cover Beijing. The government decided to postpone the examination of the enemy base attack capability indefinitely by a cabinet decision in December, but if North Korea and China recognize the SDF's long-range missile as "enemy base attack capability", it will attack Japan. It can also be expected to have the effect of discouraging itself.

(Sankei Shimbun)