The deployment of the Hyper Velocity Guided Projectile (HVGP) will be a significant shift in Japan’s defence strategy, which has historically committed to a purely defensive posture. Japan is now poised to integrate this hypersonic missile into its force structure to conduct offensive operations when required. The advancements in missile technology by China and North Korea have compelled Japan to develop hypersonic weapons systems to retain military parity and counter the escalating security challenges within the Indo-Pacific region, says GlobalData, a data and analytics company.
GlobalData’s report “The Global Missiles & Missile Defense Systems Market Forecast 2025-2035,” reveals that Japan is anticipated to allocate approximately $14.3 billion for the procurement of various missile types from 2025 to 2035. It is projected that approximately 20% of this outlay will be directed towards the acquisition of hypersonic anti-ship and land-attack missiles.
Tushar Mangure, Aerospace & Defense Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The rapid expansion of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) fleet, coupled with its intention to operationally deploy six aircraft carrier battle groups for naval power projection in the Indo-Pacific region, also serves as a significant catalyst for Japan’s procurement of hypersonic missiles. The HVGP missile system is anticipated to feature terminal phase manoeuvrability and is engineered to evade the defences of China’s aircraft carriers. The system could also serve as a means to neutralise North Korea’s nuclear capabilities, including the ballistic missile launch infrastructure.”
In addition to the development of hypersonic missiles, Japan is also enhancing its military space capabilities by integrating its air and space forces and advancing the development of new reconnaissance and navigation satellite systems. The Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) satellites are poised to enhance Japan’s ability to track objects that are difficult to detect with ground-based equipment. They will also provide independent real-time targeting data for hypersonic missiles without relying on any foreign satellite network.
Japan is also augmenting its Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS), a satellite-based navigation network, with the aim of providing continuous positioning data to increase the accuracy of its hypersonic missiles.
Mangure adds: “Considering the swift expansion of China’s naval capabilities and North Korea’s ongoing missile development program, which now encompasses the advancement of solid-fueled ballistic missiles, the deployment of HVGP is imperative for safeguarding Japan’s territorial sovereignty.”
Amid uncertainties regarding US support for Japan under the Trump administration, compounded by a reassessment of the proposed expansion of US forces in Japan, there is a necessity for Japan to modernize its military capabilities. This modernisation would enable Japan to conduct long-range precision strikes against both land and naval targets.
Mangure concludes: “However, the operationalisation of HVGP systems is also anticipated to trigger counter deployment of comparable offensive capabilities, as well as the modernisation of air defence systems by Japan’s regional adversaries which will further fuel the arms race in the Indo-Pacific.”
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