TOKYO - Japan's Defense Ministry used a launcher for a long-range Type-25 surface-to-ship guided missile in a simulated drill for the first time Sunday in a Japan-U.S. major exercise following its deployment in southwestern Japan earlier this year.
The Type-25 is a domestically produced missile designed to be fired from a vehicle-mounted launcher. With a flight range of approximately 1,000 kilometers that puts some coastal areas of mainland China within reach, the missile is viewed as a counterstrike weapon.
At the Onohara Maneuver Area saddling Nagasaki and Saga prefectures, Self-Defense Forces members were seen transporting the launcher to its firing position where it was positioned to face in a south-westerly direction.
The joint Keen Sword exercise, involving around 45,000 SDF members and around 12,000 U.S. troops across Japan, began Oct. 19 and will run until Thursday. Seven other countries including Australia have also joined the exercise.
The Type-25 missiles were deployed at Ground Self-Defense Force's Camp Kengun in Kumamoto Prefecture in March.
Japan decided to acquire weapons with a counterstrike capability, marking a major shift from its exclusively defense-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 preemptive strike, which is prohibited under international law.
