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Japan begins flight tests of air-launched upgraded Type 12 missile
The test is meant to verify aerodynamics and structural loads before separation and live-fire trials, with reported range of about 1,000km.
Japan has started flight testing for the air-launched variant of its upgraded Type 12 anti-ship missile, a step toward a longer-range indigenous counterstrike capability. South China Morning Post reports that photographs from July 30 at Gifu airbase show a Mitsubishi F-2B fighter carrying two inert examples of the missile, marking the first public confirmation of a flight test.
The trial is designed to validate aerodynamic characteristics and structural loads ahead of separation and live-fire testing. SCMP Economy also reports that the missile is intended to be part of an indigenous family of long-range stand-off weapons deployable from land, sea, and air.
Japan’s broader counterstrike effort includes the ground-launched variant entering service in March as the Type 25, extending the range of its indigenous anti-ship missile force from about 200km to about 1,000km. The ship- and air-launched variants are expected to enter service around the next financial year, while a submarine-launched version remains under development.
A defense expert cited by SCMP Economy said the air-launched variant adds platform flexibility by changing potential strike launch locations, making it harder for Chinese forces to anticipate where strikes could originate. The expert added that air launches over Kyushu and even Honshu would fundamentally shift the targeting equation.