Japan Deploys New Longer-Range Missiles, Formally Designates ‘Type 25’ Systems

Japan has taken a major step in advancing its stand-off defense capabilities, with the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) announcing on March 31 the first operational deployment of two domestically developed longer-range missile systems—alongside their formal redesignation as “Type 25” weapons.

The JGSDF deployed an upgraded ground-launched Type 12 surface-to-ship missile at Camp Kengun in Kumamoto Prefecture and a Hyper Velocity Gliding Projectile (HVGP) for island defense at Camp Fuji in Shizuoka Prefecture.

At the same time, the service officially redesignated the systems as the “Type 25 Surface-to-Ship Guided Missile (25SSM)” and the “Type 25 Hyper Velocity Gliding Projectile (25HGP),” marking their formal entry into service as Japan’s first domestically developed stand-off missiles. The “25” reflects fiscal year 2025—ending March 31—when the systems were formally named and deployed, in line with Japan’s defense equipment naming convention.

In an official statement, the JGSDF said the move comes “in response to the increasingly severe security environment surrounding Japan,” underscoring the growing importance of stand-off capabilities for deterrence.

The Type 25 SSM is a significantly enhanced version of the legacy Type 12 missile, with its range extended to about 1,000 kilometers. This allows ground-based units to engage targets far beyond Japan’s coastline, including potential naval and land-based assets across East Asia. While originally designed for coastal defense, it is also expected to strike land-based targets such as missile launch sites.

Meanwhile, the Type 25 HGP introduces a new class of hypersonic weapon into JGSDF service. Designed for remote island defense, it travels at extremely high speeds along unpredictable trajectories, making interception more difficult. The initial variant deployed at Camp Fuji has a range of several hundred kilometers and will be used primarily for training and doctrine development, with longer-range versions under development.

Together, the newly designated Type 25 systems form a central pillar of Japan’s broader effort to build a layered stand-off defense architecture. The Ministry of Defense plans to deploy the Type 25 HGP to Camp Kamifurano in Hokkaido and Camp Ebino in Miyazaki in fiscal year 2026, and to introduce ship- and air-launched variants of the Type 25 SSM on Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyers and Japan Air Self-Defense Force fighter aircraft in fiscal year 2027.

For decades, Japan relied heavily on missile defense systems such as Patriot PAC-3, with offensive strike roles largely left to U.S. forces. However, the rapid expansion of missile arsenals by China and North Korea has exposed the limits of a purely defensive approach.

The introduction—and formal naming—of the Type 25 systems signals a clear doctrinal shift toward the ability to hold adversary launch sites at risk from stand-off distances.