Japan’s hypersonic arsenal getting up to speed
Japan is ramping up its hypersonic weapons program amid mounting threats from China and North Korea, but technological gaps and dependence on the US defense industry could slow progress.
This month, Japan’s Ministry of Defense (MOD) announced that it has successfully conducted flight tests for its island defense hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV). Four test launches were conducted at a site in California, with one launch in August 2024, two in November 2024 and one in January 2025.
The stand-off missiles, designed to neutralize threats early and at long range, successfully demonstrated their expected flight performance, according to the Japanese language announcement. Japan’s HGV research will be completed by 2025 while mass production has been underway since 2023.
Previously, Japan’s Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA) released footage of a successful test launch of the Hyper Velocity Gliding Projectile (HVGP) in July 2024, signaling apparent significant hypersonic weaponry progress.
The test showcased the “Early Deployment Version (Block 1)” with plans for extended-range variants by 2030.
The 900-kilometer-range HVGP will enter the Japan Ground Self-Defense Forces (JGSDF) service in 2026, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is reportedly speeding up the weapon’s production.
In March 2020, Japan unveiled two hypersonic weapon concepts: the Hypersonic Cruise Missile (HCM) and the HVGP. The HCM, powered by a scramjet engine, resembles conventional cruise missiles but offers higher speeds and longer ranges. Meanwhile, the HVGP features a solid-fuel rocket engine that propels its warhead and maintains high velocity while gliding to its target.
At the tactical level, hypersonic weapons are essential to Japan’s emerging counterstrike capabilities, although using them poses technical challenges.
HGVs and HCMs showcase advanced missile technology. Launched from ballistic missiles, HGVs can hit speeds of up to Mach 20 and glide unpredictably to evade interception. They can perform evasive maneuvers in the terminal phase if energy allows.
