Range Missiles, Formally Designates 'Type 25' Systems

navalnews.com • March 31, 2026 • world

Key Points:

The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) has officially deployed two domestically developed longer-range missile systems, redesignated as the Type 25 Surface-to-Ship Guided Missile (25SSM) and Type 25 Hyper Velocity Gliding Projectile (25HGP), marking Japan’s first stand-off missiles.
The upgraded Type 25 SSM extends the range of the legacy Type 12 missile to about 1,000 kilometers, enabling ground units to target naval and land-based assets across East Asia, including missile launch sites.
The Type 25 HGP is a new hypersonic weapon designed for remote island defense, traveling at extremely high speeds with unpredictable trajectories to complicate interception, with initial versions used for training and longer-range variants in development.
These systems are part of Japan’s broader strategy to build a layered stand-off defense architecture, with plans to deploy additional units and introduce ship- and air-launched variants by fiscal years 2026 and 2027.
The move reflects a doctrinal shift from a primarily defensive posture reliant on U.S. forces to a more proactive capability aimed at deterring adversaries by threatening their launch sites from stand-off distances amid growing regional security challenges.

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