Japan Unveils Supersonic Anti-Ship Missile

Japanese defense undersecretary Tomohiro Yamamoto poses in front of an F-2 fighter during a visit to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ Nagoya plant. A redesigned Mitsubishi ASM-3 supersonic anti-ship missile is visible under the fighter’s wing. (Japan MoD photo)

The Japanese navy has one major mission in wartime: To bottle up the Chinese fleet, preventing Beijing’s warships from reaching the open Pacific Ocean.

Which is why Japanese planners take anti-ship missiles very, very seriously. And why, last year, the Japanese defense ministry took a hard look at its newest anti-ship missile design ... and decided to go back to the drawing board.

The ASM-3 lacked range, the ministry decided. Rather than field the missile in its current, 100-mile incarnation, officials sent the weapon back to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries with one major note: Make the missile fly twice as far ... without making it much bigger.

A year later, the ASM-3 has reappeared. In mid-July, Japan’s state minister for national defense, Tomohiro Yamamoto, posted a photo on social media depicting an F-2 with the redesigned ASM-3 under its wing. (end of excerpt)

Click here for the full story, on the Forbes website.

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