Japan demonstrates Type 12 anti-ship missile in Australia during international exercise.

According to an article published by ABC News on July 19, 2023, the Japanese Self Defense Force (JSDF) will conduct a live fire demonstration of its Type 12 Surface-to-Ship missile (SSM) at the Beecroft Weapons Range in Jervis Bay, south of Sydney, Australia. This marks the first time Japan tests this capability in Australia and reflects the deepening partnership between the two countries.
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Japan will conduct a live fire demonstration of its Type 12 Surface-to-Ship missile (SSM) in Australia (Picture source Mitsubishi Heavy Industries)

This event coincides with the opening of Exercise Talisman Sabre 2023, a large-scale military exercise involving multiple nations. Exercise Talisman Sabre 2023, the tenth iteration of the exercise, will be the largest on record, involving over 30,000 military personnel from 13 nations. The exercise, running from July 22 to August 3, will incorporate various joint war-fighting concepts, including Multi-domain Strike, which involves the synchronization of kinetic and non-kinetic actions across different domains.

General Morishita Yasunori, Chief of Staff for Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force, stated that Exercise Talisman Sabre is significant for strengthening cooperation with Australia and the US, which will contribute to maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific region. The firing exercise involving the Australian Navy is expected to enhance trust between Australia and Japan.

The decision to conduct the missile test in Australia is seen as a strategic choice, allowing Japan to utilize the relatively open space for testing rather than its own crowded and contested neighborhood.

Prior to the missile test, Japanese soldiers participated in Exercise Southern Jackaroo in Queensland, providing live-fire artillery support to Australian troops. This activity served as a lead-up to Talisman Sabre and included the participation of US forces, further enhancing the trilateral military cooperation among Japan, Australia, and the United States.

Currently available in Japan’s arsenal, the Type 12 Surface-to-Ship Missile is a truck-mounted anti-ship missile developed by Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in 2012. It is an upgrade of Type 88 Surface-to-Ship Missile. Type 12 features INS with mid-course GPS guidance and better precision due to enhanced Terrain Contour Matching and target discrimination capabilities. The weapon is networked, where initial and mid-course targeting can be provided by other platforms, and also boasts shorter reload times, reduced lifecycle costs, and a range of 124 mi (108 NMI; 200 km).

The missile shares the same Ka-band Active Electronic Scanned Array (AESA) radar seeker with the Japanese BVRAAM missile, AAM-4B.

The ship-launched derivative of Type 12, designated as Type 17 (SSM-2) missile has been put into service and it is to start deploying from Maya-class destroyer. The range has doubled to 400 kilometers and is also planning to re-apply for the improved version of the surface-to-ship system and the air-launched variant for the P-1 patrol aircraft.

The MoD approved the development of an improved version of the Type 12 SSM on December 18, 2020, by the Cabinet. According to Japanese newspapers, the range will be extended from 200 km to 900 km, with a future target of 1,500 km. It will have a stealthy shape to reduce RCS, as well as high mobility to prevent interception from the enemy. It can attack not only naval vessels but also ground targets. The MoD intends to launch the improved Type 12 SSM not only from the ground but also from naval vessels and aircraft.

In August 2022, the Army Recognition editorial team reported that Japan was considering stockpiling more than 1,000 long-range cruise missiles, as tensions over Taiwan grow.