Japan has conducted its first-ever missile test on its own territory, marking a significant milestone in the country’s ongoing military build-up aimed at deterring China’s growing assertiveness in the region. The test took place on Tuesday at the Shizunai Anti-Air Firing Range on Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost main island.

This exercise involved the test-firing of the Type 88 surface-to-ship, short-range missile, a system developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and mounted on trucks, with a range of approximately 100 kilometers.

About 300 soldiers from the Ground Self-Defence Force’s 1st Artillery Brigade participated in the drill, which targeted an unmanned boat situated roughly 40 kilometers off Hokkaido’s southern coast. The missile used for the test was a training round, and officials are currently evaluating the results of the exercise.

Historically, Japan has conducted its missile tests abroad, primarily in the United States and Australia, due to domestic space limitations and safety concerns. The decision to conduct this test domestically underscores Japan’s shift toward a more self-reliant defence posture and its pursuit of strike-back capabilities, particularly in response to China’s increasing naval activity and joint Chinese-Russian military exercises near Japanese waters.

This test comes as Japan accelerates its military modernization under a five-year security strategy adopted in 2022, which identifies China as the country’s most significant strategic challenge and calls for a closer alliance with the United States.

Japan is also preparing to deploy long-range cruise missiles, including U.S.-made Tomahawks, later this year. Additionally, Japan is developing the Type 12 surface-to-ship missile, an advanced successor to the Type 88, with a planned range of about 1,000 kilometers—ten times that of the Type 88—to further enhance its deterrence capabilities.

Japan is also planning to establish a missile-firing range on Minamitorishima, an uninhabited island in the western Pacific, following recent sightings of Chinese aircraft carriers operating in the area. These developments reflect Japan’s broader efforts to strengthen its defence infrastructure amid ongoing territorial disputes with Russia and heightened regional security concerns.

Japan’s first domestic missile test represents a pivotal step in its evolving defence strategy, signalling a clear intent to bolster self-sufficiency and deterrence in the face of mounting regional threats, particularly from China and, to a lesser extent, Russia.

Based On A AP Report