Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force’s First Artillery Brigade last week publicly announced it will be conducting live-fire training exercises employing its truck-mounted Type 88 long-range surface-to-ship missile systems over the period June 19 to 30, 2025. The exercises will occur at a coastal missile range near Camp Shizunai in Hokkaido, the northernmost of Japan’s main islands. This will be the first live-fire launches of the system in the home islands.
The exercise reflects the focus being made by Japan’s military on actively reinforcing and fine-tuning its defense posture, particularly its coastal defense and rapid response capabilities against potential intrusions into its territorial waters and associated islands. Two missiles will engage target craft positioned approximately 40 km (25 miles) southwest of the launch site.
Type-88 (SSM-1) Missile Capabilities
The Type-88, or SSM-1, is based on the ASM-1 air-launched anti-ship missile and is inertially guided using a pre-programmed terrain-following/avoidance flight path. It flies at subsonic Mach 0.93 speed with a 150-kilometer range. It can approach at high altitude before dropping to extremely low altitude just above the surface for its final attack.
Terminal guidance uses an active Ku-band radar seeker, and the missile can perform precise attacks even under electronic countermeasures by homing in on an enemy’s jamming signals. A built-in target selection algorithm ensures the missile rejects decoys or false targets. The missile also features radar-absorbing coating and a low-radar cross-section to reduce detection. Its up to 270 kg warhead is designed to maximize target effect and lethality.
Ground Launcher & Battery Composition
The ground launcher uses a 6×6 Type 74 tactical truck with up to six missile pods. A full battery includes:
- Four launch/transporters
- A target search radar
- A missile control station
- Four reloaders
- A digital communications station
The firing sequence for each missile can occur within two seconds, allowing for rapid, multiple missile attacks.
Complementary & Next-Gen Missile Systems
Developed and built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, the Type-88 is complemented by the similarly deployed Type 12 surface-to-ship missile, which has a 200 km range and features reduced signature, improved guidance, better electronic countermeasures, and faster setup/reload times. The latest Type 12 variant, now being fielded, has an extended 1,000 km range and was first live-tested in 2024.
Japan is also acquiring and fielding an array of other advanced missiles, including:
- Hyper Velocity Gliding Projectile (HVGP)
- Hypersonic Cruise Missile
- Submarine-launched missile
- New precision missile (dual anti-ship & land-attack role)
Additionally, Japan is purchasing:
- U.S.-made Tomahawk cruise missiles
- JASSM (air-launched)
- Norwegian Joint Strike Missile (JSM, air-launched)
A newly created “Mach 2025 Joint Operations Command” has been given responsibility for overseeing real-time targeting of these “counter-strike” assets.
