Japan May Start Developing Cruise Missiles With Interchangeable Warheads in 2023

TOKYO (Sputnik) The Japanese government has decided to start developing cruise missiles with interchangeable warheads with a range of over 1,000 kilometers (620 miles), as early as the the current year, Japanese media reported on Tuesday.

The development of a prototype weapon may take place in the next financial year, which starts on April 1, the Japanese newspaper reported, citing sources. The missiles will be capable of carrying three types of warheads designed for conducting strikes, reconnaissance and creating jams in enemy's air defense systems. The missiles will be launched from high mobility vehicles, the media outlet added.

The new cruise missiles, some parts of which are in development since 2018, are planned to be used in case of emergency, in particular, for eliminating enemy ships attacking the Japanese islands, the newspaper reported.

In mid-December, Japan adopted three key documents on defense and security, namely National Security Strategy, National Defense Strategy and Defense Plan. All the documents provide for an increase of defense budget up to 2% of Japan's GDP by 2027, which is around 11 trillion yen ($81 billion). For comparison, the country's defense spending in 2022 amounted to 5.4 trillion yen, which is 1.24% of its GDP.

The documents also include the possession of retaliatory strike capabilities, implying ability to target enemy bases. Until recently, this capabilities were implied in Japan's right to self-defense, but they were not officially recorded. This innovation marks a new course in Japan's defense policy.