Introducing Air-to-Surface Missiles

The government of Japan begins to consider introducing long-range cruising missile on fighter jets of Japan Air Self-defense Force. JASDF believes that the missile will enhance its capability for defending isolated islands of Japan, dealing with active maritime advance of China these years. The plan has still not cleared fundamental argument on constitutionality, which is about whether it will violate the provision prohibiting use of force in a foreign country by possessing capability of preemptive strike on enemy’s military bases.

According to the reports based on information from the officers of Shinzo Abe administration, the government is considering necessary budget for obtaining Joint Strike Missile developed mainly by Norway and researching Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile-Extended Range by United States. It is likely that the budget will be included as soon as in FY 2018.

JSM is in development for installing in cutting edge stealth fighter jet, F-35 Lightening II. Japanese government will obtain the missile for testing, expecting its capability of striking the object of military base on the ground or vessel on the sea about 300 kilometers away. If the missile is installed in F-35, 42 of which will be deployed in Misawa Air Base later this fiscal year, JASDF will be able to enhance its deterrence against advancing China or strike military facilities in mid-land of North Korea.

Having its reach of 900 kilometers, JASSM-ER can strike the mid-land of North Korea from the Japan’s territorial air above Japan Sea. JASDF assumes that the missile will be installed in F-15 Eagle, which has already been deployed in the airbases in Japan. Ministry of Defense is going to request the budget for repairing F-15 in FY 2018 and actually purchase the missile in FY 2019 or later.

Japanese government has been taking the position that it would not obtain the capability of striking enemy’s military base, which cannot necessarily be prohibited in Constitution of Japan. But, obtaining that capability may cause revision of role sharing in Japan-US military alliance, which has been defined as that Japan owes the role of “shield” with principle of exclusively defensive security policy and US works as “sword” of striking enemy.

Suffering from North Korea’s consecutive missile test over Japan, MoD is involved in development of military capability of land-striking. It also considers adding land-striking capability on anti-vessel missile in researching stage. That concept called as Japanese version of Tomahawk will be introduced in FY 2018.