Japan's Type 12 Cruise Missile Variant for Submarine

Pete Comment

Japan's Type 12 land/surface-to-ship cruise missile (see wikipedia photo above) is evolving into a longer range, stealthier missile. A Type 17 variant has been developed that can be launched by Japanese ships against other ships and land targets. Type 12 variants are being developed for launch by aircraft and, as Anonymous describes below, by submarine.

ARTICLE 

Thanks to Anonymous for providing the following details on Japan’s Type 12 missile on Dec 31, 2021 and Jan 2, 2022 

Japan's Ministry of Defense (MoD) is developing a variant of the Type 12 cruise missile for submarine launch to help prevent naval invasions of remote islands claimed by Japan (eg. invasion of Senkaku islands by the Chinese Navy). The variant is to be deployed in the 2020s [1 - 3].

[1] https://www.yomiuri.co.jp/politics/20211229-OYT1T50258/  “A missile with a range of 1,000 km on a Japanese Navy (JMSDF) submarine ... Considered to embody the ability to attack enemy bases”. [The article includes the interesting statement "...When mounted on a submarine, a method of adding a vertical launch system (VLS) to the submarine and a method of launching from an existing torpedo launcher are being studied...". It is unknown if this implies Japan will adopt VLS for submarine.]

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_12_Surface-to-Ship_Missile

[3] https://www.mod.go.jp/j/approach/hyouka/seisaku/2020/pdf/jizen_08_honbun.pdf 
Improvement Plan for Type 12 Surface-to-Ship Missile by Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA). See the last page (5) of the document with artwork on land and sea launch modes.

Total program budget is US$342 million.

Trial production will be from 2021 to 2025.

Technical and practical tests will be conducted from 2023 to 2025.

Further stages of the improvement plan for the Type 12 Surface-to-Ship Missile are as follows [4]

(a) Extension of range will be conducted by:
i) adoption of extension structure with large wings on the missile
ii) ways to reduce Radar Cross Section (RCS) are being considered, and
iii) extension of operating range of the jet engine.

(b) Establishment of technology of Up To Date Command (UTDC) [known as "cueing"]  between surface/ground system-missile via satellite.

(c) Establishment of firing function planning, estimation of firing effect and, confirmation of result.

Image of improved Type12 Surface-to-Ship Missile and its jet engine are in figs. 3&4 in [5]. Equipped with a new turbofan jet engine. Equipped with large main wings for long-distance flight more than 1 hour. Adopted with stealth shape to reduce the [RCS or] radar reflection area". Equipped with a "tactical data link system that can update the flight route.

[4] https://www.mod.go.jp/j/approach/hyouka/seisaku/2020/pdf/jizen_08_honbun.pdf 
Also see reference to that document at [3] 

Page 2/5, (4)

[5] Tokyo Express article  

Fig 3 Image of improved Type12 Surface-to-Ship Missile [with improved stealth, lower Radar Cross Section]
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Fig 4 Turbofan Engine of improved Type12 Surface-to-Ship Missile.
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Further Pete Comment

The Type 12 seems to be following the international trend towards ever longer range, stealthier missiles that can be launched from a broader range of platforms. This is similar to the US movement from the submarine launched Harpoon to the longer range Tomahawk (when used in anti-ship mode).  In terms of greater stealth there is movement from the Harpoon and Tomahawk to the JASSM-XR.

Another impetus is Japan's opponent, China's, development of longer range, stealthier, multi-launch platform cruise missiles. Chinese examples being from the 200km range YJ-83 to the YJ-18 (possibly 500km range submarine launched anti-ship mode).