Japan has allocated funding for the production of hypersonic missiles in its 2026 defense budget, the Ukrainian portal reported Militarnyi.
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The funding was highlighted in the 2026 defense budget document recently published by the Japanese Ministry of Defense.
It contains a contract worth 3.1 billion yen (equivalent to around US$19.8 million). The document also allows for additional funding during the 2026 fiscal year, which begins on April 1.
Japan’s Defense Ministry said production of the missiles was originally scheduled for 2031 but was brought forward to 2026 due to what it described as a “growing threat from China.”
Following provisional research results achieved since 2023, Japan is moving forward with the production of the first serial units. The entire development cycle is expected to be completed by 2030.
At the same time, the document reveals that 73.2 billion yen (about US$467 million) has been allocated for the continued development and improvement of the missiles. An additional 162.6 billion yen (approximately US$1.04 billion) was allocated to increase series production.
The new hypersonic missile is being developed as part of Japan’s counterattack capability. Its guidance systems are designed for both anti-ship missions and strikes against land targets.
While the official range of the missile has not yet been released, documents indicate that it will be launched using the first stage of the ballistic missile. HVGP Block 2which has a reported range of around 3,000 kilometers.
Photo: ATLA. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
