Japan to Develop Underwater-Launched Hypersonic Missiles as Defense Budget Nears 90 Trillion Won

The Japanese government has launched the development of underwater-launched hypersonic missiles to strengthen its "counterstrike capabilities" to attack enemy bases, Kyodo News reported today (the 19th).

According to the news agency, the Japanese government will also push forward in earnest with developing attack drones—characterized by low cost and mass production using civilian components—by loading long-range missiles onto unmanned underwater vehicles.

Japan's Ministry of Defense included these plans in the "item requests" of its budget request for the upcoming fiscal year.

The requested budget for next year amounts to approximately 8.9 trillion yen (approx. 78.6 trillion won) in accordance with the defense buildup plan.

However, with more than 150 projects listed as "item requests" without specified amounts, the final budget plan to be finalized at the end of the year is expected to increase to around 10 trillion yen (approx. 88.3 trillion won).

In this budget plan, the Ministry of Defense presented three major focus areas: "new combat methods" utilizing drones and artificial intelligence (AI), sustained response capabilities to prepare for prolonged warfare, and improvements to the defense industry base and the treatment of Self-Defense Forces personnel.

In particular, it plans to promote the development of underwater-launched hypersonic missiles—which can be fired from submarines and unmanned underwater vehicles—and low-cost domestic long-range missiles, while also pursuing the introduction of foreign equipment for early operational capability.

It will also introduce interceptor drones and ship-launched attack drones to strengthen air defense.

The Joint Operations Command, which will uniformly command the Ground, Maritime, and Air Self-Defense Forces, will introduce an AI-based decision-making support system and a cloud system for secure and rapid data utilization.

In response to China's intensified activities, Japan will expand unmanned aerial vehicles for surveillance on the Pacific side and initiate surveys to establish fighter jet operating infrastructure on Ioto (Iwo Jima), where Japanese forces fought fierce battles against the U.S. military during World War II.

As a measure to strengthen the production base, the nationalization of defense industry factories was specified, and research on "tactical AI satellites" to analyze space reconnaissance information will be conducted, alongside plans to establish a "Satellite Development Office" within the Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.