Japan has allocated funding for the production of hypersonic missiles in its defense budget for 2026, reported the Ukrainian portal Militarnyi.
The funding was highlighted in the recently published defense budget document for 2026 by Japan’s Ministry of Defense.
It includes a contract worth 3.1 billion yen (approximately $19.8 million). The document also allows for additional funding during the 2026 fiscal year, which begins on April 1.
Japan’s Ministry of Defense stated that the production of the missiles was originally scheduled for 2031 but has been advanced to 2026 due to what it described as a “growing threat from China.”
Following the preliminary 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 $467 million) has been allocated for the ongoing development and improvement of the missiles. An additional 162.6 billion yen (approximately $1.04 billion) has been set aside to increase the serial 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 attacks on land targets.
While the official range of the missile has not been disclosed, documents indicate that it will be launched using the first stage of the HVGP Block 2 ballistic missile, which 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.
