Japan's 12SSM-ER missile: A leap in defense strategy
Japan has conducted tests of a new missile, the 12SSM-ER, with a range of approximately 1,500 kilometres. This represents a significant step towards strengthening Japan's defence. Here's what is known about the new missile.
The Japanese Ministry of Defence, in cooperation with the Self-Defence Forces, tested the new 12SSM-ER missile, which has a range of around 1,500 kilometres. The tests were conducted using a land-based launcher equipped with two transport-launch containers mounted on the heavy Mitsubishi 8×8 Gen.2 platform.
This system is crucial for Japan, which in recent years has been making changes to its pacifist policies by lifting export restrictions for both old and new armaments. A notable example of new armaments is the joint sixth-generation fighter project "Tempest," being developed with the United Kingdom and Italy, intended to replace the aging F-2 fighter fleet.
12SSM-ER missile - Japan's whip against the Chinese fleet
The new missile is an expanded version of the anti-ship Type-12, which has a range of 200 kilometres. The new version is expected to be 9 metres long and weighing up to 1,600 kilograms, putting it close in capability to the American Tomahawk, which Japan is also acquiring as a temporary deterrent for its naval surface ships.
The new missiles will likely appear in a land-based version for coastal defence systems or a sea-based version intended for installation on Type 13DDX destroyers. These, combined with drones and supported by artificial intelligence algorithms, will be formidable weapons. Japan will also be able to use this system to support its American ally in the region.
Beyond its mass and dimensions, the missile is equipped with a rocket booster that separates after burnout, while a turbojet engine handles the remainder of the flight. The missile's speed is likely similar to that of the regular Type-12, around 1,100 kilometres per hour.
The warhead and guidance system remain open questions. The 12SSM-ER may feature a larger warhead than 225 kilograms, and the guidance system may also have been improved. In the anti-ship variant, it used a combination of inertial navigation and a radar-seeking head operating in the final phase of the flight.
For the 12SSM-ER version, the GPS and INS tandem likely remain, bolstered by a communication link to ensure connectivity with the carrier. Additionally, following the trend in cruise missiles, it is likely that the Japanese have chosen an electro-optical head that captures the thermal image of the target and can track the terrain, as is the case with Storm Shadow or Taurus KEPD-350.
