Japan deploys long-range missile launcher during major drill with US
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Japan could fire such missiles if it determines that an enemy has begun an attack, even before the nation suffers any damage.
PHOTO: UNSPLASH
- Japan used a Type-25 long-range missile launcher in a joint drill with the US for the first time, showing its new counterstrike role.
- The missile can fly about 1,000km and could reach parts of mainland China. It was deployed at Camp Kengun in Kumamoto in March.
- The Keen Sword exercise involves about 45,000 Japanese troops and 12,000 US troops. Japan’s new policy has raised fears of misjudged preemptive strikes.
AI generated
TOKYO – Japan’s Defence Ministry used a launcher for a long-range Type-25 surface-to-ship guided missile in a simulated drill in a Japan-US major exercise for the first time on Oct 25, following its deployment in south-western Japan earlier in 2026.
The Type-25 is a domestically produced missile designed to be fired from a vehicle-mounted launcher. With a flight range of approximately 1,000km that puts some coastal areas of mainland China within reach, the missile is viewed as a counter-strike weapon.
At the Onohara Maneuver Area straddling Nagasaki and Saga prefectures, Japan Self-Defense Forces (SDF) members were seen transporting the launcher to its firing location, where it was positioned to face a south-westerly direction.
The joint Exercise Keen Sword, involving about 45,000 SDF members and 12,000 US troops across Japan, began on Oct 19 and will run until Oct 29. Seven other countries, including Australia, have also joined the exercise.
The Type-25 missiles were deployed at the Ground SDF’s Camp Kengun in Kumamoto prefecture in March.
Japan decided to acquire weapons with a counter-strike capability, marking a major shift from its exclusively defence-oriented policy under the war-renouncing Constitution, under security-related documents updated in 2022.
According to the government, Japan could fire such missiles if it determines that an enemy has begun an attack, even before the nation suffers any damage. However, this has raised concerns that a misjudgment could lead to a pre-emptive strike, which is prohibited under international law. KYODO NEWS