The government is looking to possess more than 1,000 long-range cruise missiles, according to sources. With a Taiwan contingency in mind, the government intends to deploy the missiles mainly from Kyushu to the Nansei island chain.
Its aim is to narrow the gap with China, which has deployed a large number of ballistic missiles.
The Japanese government is working to extend the range of the Type 12 surface-to-ship missile deployed by the Ground Self-Defense Force from the current range of slightly over 100 kilometers to about 1,000 kilometers, allowing the missile to reach North Korea and coastal areas of China.
