The launch system for the Type 12 surface-to-ship missile is on display at the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Kengun Garrison in Higashi Ward, Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan and Kyushu Island region, on March 17, 2026. Photo: VCG

Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) is set to deploy long-range missiles from Tuesday to gain strike capability against enemy bases, according to Japanese media outlets. A Chinese military affairs expert said that Japan's deployment of such destructive weapons is by no means purely for defensive purposes, and that Japan's strategic intent behind these developments poses a substantial security risk to neighboring countries.

According to Asahi Shimbun on Tuesday, the weapons are designed with the assumption that, if it is determined that an "opponent" has initiated an attack, Japan could strike the opponent's missile bases within that country's territory. This marks a major turning point in Japan's defense policy, which has long been based on Japan's exclusively defense-oriented policy, Asahi Shimbun claimed.

The systems deployed on Tuesday include the upgraded Type 12 surface-to-ship missile, with a range of about 1,000 kilometers—capable of reaching China's coastal areas and waters around the Taiwan island—at Camp Kengun in Kumamoto, and the Hyper Velocity Gliding Projectile for island defense at Camp Fuji in Shizuoka, according to Asahi Shimbun.

These domestically produced missiles will also be deployed in the future at Camp Ebino in Miyazaki and Camp Kamifurano in Hokkaido, with the glide vehicle set to be further improved to extend its range to around 2,000 kilometers. The Maritime and Air Self-Defense Forces are also planning to operate them from destroyers and fighter aircraft, according to Asahi Shimbun.

According to a latest post by Japan's GSDF on Tuesday, the "Type-12 Surface-to-Ship Guided Missile (surface-launched variants)" and the "Hyper Velocity Gliding Projectile" have been formally renamed "Type-25 Surface-to-Ship guided Missile(25SSM)" and "Type-25 Hyper velocity Gliding Projectile(25HGP)", respectively, and have been deployed to units for the first time as domestically developed stand-off missiles.

Both types of weapons are highly destructive, with the 25HGP posing a more pronounced threat due to its stronger penetration capability, Chinese military affairs expert Song Zhongping told the Global Times, adding that although the 25SSM is a high-subsonic weapon, it also possesses significant capabilities. At a minimum, Japan's strategic intent behind these developments poses a substantial security risk to neighboring countries, Song added.

In 2022, Japan revised its three key security documents, including the National Security Strategy and the National Defense Strategy. The updated policies formally introduced the concept of "counterstrike capabilities" - the ability to strike enemy missile launch sites or other military targets if Japan comes under attack, a report by The Diplomat noted.

Japan's deployment of such long-range missiles is by no means purely for defensive purposes, but rather aims to build integrated offensive and defensive military capabilities, enabling it to openly acquire the ability to conduct source-of-origin strikes beyond its territory, with the core intention of breaking free from the constraints of its pacifist Constitution, Song said.

When asked to comment on Japan's move to field long-range missiles capable of attacking enemy bases, Jiang Bin, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, said during a press conference on March 11 that with the planned fielding of long-range offensive weapons whose range far exceeds its territorial boundaries, Japan has completely stripped away its pretense of its "exclusively defense-oriented" principle, "passive defense" strategy and "self-defense" policy. 

This speaks volumes about the neo-militarism in Japan, which has become more than just a perilous tendency, but a very real threat that may wreak havoc on regional peace and security, Jiang said. "Let me make it clear to the Japanese side: retreating to its belligerent and militarist past leads nowhere but self-destruction. Should the Japanese side dare to use force to violate China's sovereignty and security, it will only meet a head-on blow and suffer a greater and inevitable defeat."

According to The Japan Times, critics say their deployment would effectively turn the bases where they are located into retaliatory targets.

Opponents have also complained about the lack of transparency and said the deployment would instead escalate tension and make the missiles the target of attacks, the AP News reported. "The prefecture has never been notified," Kumamoto Gov. Takashi Kimura told reporters Monday. "It is extremely disappointing that we learned this from media reports."

"As a defeated nation in World War II, Japan was expected to fulfill its postwar obligations by deeply reflecting on its history, issuing apologies to the countries concerned, and providing compensation, yet it has not done so," Song said. 

The expert added that if Japan undermines or overturns its pacifist Constitution, it would constitute an open violation of the postwar international order and international law. "Such actions would inevitably disrupt the postwar order, forcing countries in Asia to consider Japan's true intentions."