Japan Will Deploy High-Speed Glide Missiles in Hokkaido and Kyushu

Japanese media reported on December 12 that Japan’s Ministry of Defense is finalizing plans to deploy “high-speed glide missiles” that attack the enemy at hypersonic speeds to the Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) garrisons in Hokkaido and Kyushu. High-speed glide missiles hit the enemy above the speed of sound and have a range of several hundred kilometers, making them harder to intercept than conventional missiles.

Local government officials said they decided to deploy the high-speed glide missiles in either the Hokkaido or Kyushu garrisons of the GSDF, as well as coordinate with the GSDF to create two units of hypersonic guided missiles, which are said to fly at five times the speed of sound.

Its purpose is to strengthen the defense of the Spratly Islands, including the Senkaku Islands, against the Chinese Communist Party’s growing maritime expansion. The current five surface-to-ship missiles (SSM) units will be increased to seven, and improved missiles with a range of more than 1,000 kilometers will be deployed in sequence. In addition, the Maritime Self-Defense Force’s Aegis ships and other ships will be equipped with improved SSMs, and the Air Self-Defense Force will also consider installing these missiles on its F2 fighter jets.