Japan on April 11 signed contracts with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to mass-produce long-range missiles as the country seeks to acquire “counterstrike capabilities” amid communist China’s growing military threats.
Japan’s defense ministry awarded Mitsubishi with four contracts worth 378 billion yen ($2.8 billion), including mass production of ground-launched Type 12 guided missiles and a hypersonic ballistic missile.
Mitsubishi will also develop enhanced versions of Type 12 guided missiles that can be launched from land, aircraft, and ships. Janes reported that the new missiles will have a range of up to 621 miles.
The deployment of these weapons has been scheduled for 2026 and 2027, according to the ministry’s statement, but it did not specify the number of missiles that Japan intends to deploy….