Japan to introduce cruise missiles: defense ministry

December 8, 2017

Tokyo- Japan's Self-Defense Forces will introduce long-range cruise missiles, Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said Friday.

The Defense Ministry is seeking a budget allocation for purchasing the missiles in fiscal 2018 starting next April, Onodera told a press conference.

With long-range cruise missiles, Japan will be able to carry out operations more effectively by dealing with enemies without going near them, Onodera said. But he ruled out the use of the missiles to attack enemy bases.

The ministry is considering acquiring Norwegian and U.S. cruise missiles and mounting them on state-of-the-art F-35A stealth fighter jets to be deployed to the Air SDF as well as the ASDF's mainstay F-15 fighters. Jiji Press