Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force moved launchers for upgraded Type-12 surface-to-ship missiles into Camp Kengun in Kumamoto Prefecture on March 9, beginning the country’s first deployment of domestically developed long-range strike weapons since World War II.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara confirmed the missiles will be fully operational by March 31. The deployment supports Japan’s newly adopted counterstrike policy, which permits strikes on enemy bases if Japan faces an armed attack and no other defensive option exists.
今NHKの記事見たら更新されてて富士駐屯地を出発する12式能力向上型の写真が出てた
はっきり見えないけどナンバーから総火演で展示された車両と同じぽい富士から熊本まで1日かけて西日本縦断するわけで日曜だし目撃情報出てくるかもね https://t.co/84lPMYHs7c pic.twitter.com/q3GKGjJFIJ
— あ^しゅら (@asura0998822) March 7, 2026
The upgraded Type-12, built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, extends the weapon’s reach from the original 124 miles to approximately 621miles. Each eight-wheeled truck launcher carries six missiles weighing roughly 680 kilograms. Positioned on Kyushu, the southwesternmost of Japan’s main islands, the missiles can strike targets across the East China Sea, the Korean Peninsula, and portions of coastal China.
Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force transporting equipment, including launchers for the upgraded Type 12 surface-to-ship guided missile (extended-range version, with a range of approximately 1,000 km), to Camp Kengun (健軍駐屯地) in Kumamoto City. https://t.co/HVNsRznOYZ pic.twitter.com/YEn1pD52n5
— aqua (@aqua52043525) March 11, 2026
Local officials criticized the secrecy surrounding the deployment. “The prefecture has never been notified,” Kumamoto Governor Takashi Kimura told reporters. “It is extremely disappointing that we learned this from media reports.”
The Defense Ministry accelerated the deployment timeline by one year. A second battery is scheduled for Camp Fuji in Shizuoka Prefecture later in 2026.
Japan will also deploy the Hyper Velocity Gliding Projectile (HVGP), a ground-launched hypersonic missile designed to evade interception, to Camp Fuji on March 31. The twin fieldings mark the operational debut of Tokyo’s indigenous long-range arsenal.
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi announced in February that surface-to-air missiles will be positioned on Yonaguni Island, roughly 68 miles east of Taiwan, by March 2031. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stated after taking office that Chinese military action against Taiwan could trigger a Japanese military response.To expand its strike options, Japan has purchased 400 U.S. Tomahawk cruise missiles and began hosting American Typhon launchers for joint operational training.
