The Japanese Ministry of Defense is getting prepared to develop a hypersonic missile that will be operational by 2035 and be able to reach targets up to 3,000 kilometres away.
Early in the 2030s, the Japanese government intends to launch a missile with a 2,000 km range. It is noteworthy that by 2035, Tokyo will also create and deploy a specific sort of super missile with a range of 3,000 kilometres.
If stationed at the southernmost tip of Japan, the missile might be used to strike anything in North Korea and a large portion of mainland China.
When an item travels faster than Mach 5, which is equal to 6,174 km/h (5 times the speed of sound), it is said to have reached hypersonic speed. The warhead has a good chance of breaching opposing defences moving at this speed.
These missiles have an extremely low chance of being intercepted before they reach their target if they are fitted with fake warheads and a “slick” flight control system.
According to reports, North Korea, the United States, Russia, China, and North Korea have created weapons and warheads that can fly at hypersonic speeds.
Although it makes sense, Japan’s development of hypersonic missiles also indicates a significant shift in domestic politics.
Instead of concentrating only on enhancing defensive capabilities, hardline parties within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party have called for the creation of the capability to attack enemy facilities.
As a result, Japan has to possess weapons that can shoot down and destroy enemy missiles before they are launched from another country. They contended that since this was only being done for legitimate defence reasons, attacking and destroying it beforehand would be preferable to waiting immobile for enemy missiles to arrive.
However, smaller parties assert that Japan’s possession of offensive capability violates the pacifist Constitution.
In actuality, the hardliners are in the lead. The largest military buildup since World War II was declared by Japan in mid-December, with a $320 billion military capacity increase.
Long-range missiles, ballistic missile interceptors, attack and reconnaissance drones, satellite communications gear, the F-35 stealth fighter jet, helicopters, submarines, warships, and heavy transport planes would all be prioritised in the strategy.
