On 7 October, 2025, Japan’s Ministry of Defense announced two mass-production awards to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for an upgraded ship-launched Type 12 anti-ship missile and a torpedo-tube-launched cruise missile for submarines. The move fits Tokyo’s push to field long-range standoff options able to engage hostile forces early and at distance, as reported by the Japanese MoD. Against a backdrop of tightening regional maritime competition and growing strike inventories among potential adversaries, these programs aim to close reaction gaps at sea and around the home islands. The announcement underscores a shift from small-batch prototyping to scaled delivery with near-term fleet impact. Read Full Defense News At This Link.
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| These synchronized awards consolidate Japan’s transition from incremental trials to tangible fleet capacity, pairing a modernized Type 12 for surface ships with a covert submarine-borne strike option that exploits existing torpedo-tube infrastructure (Picture source: Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force) |