25-06-2025
Japan holds first missile drill to backdrop of China tensions
SHINHIDAKA, Hokkaido—Japan conducted its first domestic drill of a long-range missile on June 24, a move that underscores Tokyo's growing focus on maritime defense in response to China's expanding military presence.
The Ground Self-Defense Force launched a nonexplosive Type 88 surface-to-ship missile from a test range here on the southern coast of Hokkaido. This marks the first time that a missile with a capability exceeding a 100-kilometer range has been fired within Japan's borders.
With a loud explosion and contrails of white smoke, the training round soared over the Pacific at around 12:30 p.m., heading toward a target located within a 40-km range southwest of the launch site.
The exercise involved double the number typically sent to previous overseas drills in the United States with around 300 personnel.
Local officials and members of the fisheries sector were notified of the test in advance.
Another missile launch is scheduled by June 29, pending data analysis from this test.
Until now, Japan's surface-to-ship missile training has been conducted at U.S. military facilities due to space constraints and safety concerns.
However, restricted access for troops, limited time frames and types of tests, as well as a weaker yen driving up logistical costs, have prompted officials to seek domestic alternatives.
The exercise is part of Japan's 'southwest shift' policy aimed at bolstering its defense capacity—particularly with surface-to-ship missiles—amid Beijing's encroaching maritime activities in the region.
Tokyo is also considering establishing an additional missile test range on Minami-Torishima, a remote Pacific island that marks Japan's easternmost territory.
The Type 88 missile was introduced in 1988 during the Cold War era to counter Soviet naval threats and is now viewed as a key asset in the event of a Taiwan contingency, according to Nozomu Yoshitomi, a former senior GSDF official and professor at Nihon University specializing in national security.
'This week's drill may be a precursor to future live-fire exercises at the same location, involving the longer-range Type 12 surface-to-ship missile,' Yoshitomi said.
Japan is developing upgraded versions of the Type 12 missile that will boast a range of 1,000 km.
Starting next March, they are expected to be deployed across seven missile regiments that stretch from Hokkaido to Okinawa Prefecture to form a nationwide network with long-range striking capabilities.
(This article was written by Kenichiro Hatanaka and Daisuke Yajima.)
