Japan hypersonic missiles address Indo-Pacific threats: GlobalData
Japan’s defensive stance to integrate hypersonic missiles into its defence strategy is aimed at maintaining military balance and will help address growing security concerns in the Indo-Pacific region, according to leading data and analytics company GlobalData.
The incorporation of Hyper Velocity Guided Projectile (HVGP) into its military arsenal marks a notable transition and reflects Japan’s response to rapid missile technology developments by China and North Korea.
The detailed analysis presented in GlobalData’s “The Global Missiles & Missile Defense Systems Market Forecast 2025-2035” indicates that Japan plans to invest around $14.3bn in missile procurement over a decade, starting from 2025.
The nation is expected to allocate about 20% of this expenditure to hypersonic anti-ship and land-attack missiles.
GlobalData aerospace & defence analyst Tushar Mangure said: “The rapid expansion of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) fleet, coupled with its intention to operationally deploy six aircraft carrier battle groups for naval power projection in the Indo-Pacific region, also serves as a significant catalyst for Japan’s procurement of hypersonic missiles.
“The HVGP missile system is anticipated to feature terminal phase manoeuvrability and is engineered to evade the defences of China’s aircraft carriers. The system could also serve as a means to neutralize North Korea’s nuclear capabilities, including the ballistic missile launch infrastructure.”
Besides hypersonic weapons, Japan is also bolstering its military space capabilities by merging its air and space forces and pushing forward with new reconnaissance and navigation satellite systems.
These intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) satellites are expected to improve the country’s tracking capabilities for elusive objects beyond the reach of ground-based systems, notes the report.
Additionally, these satellites will provide independent targeting data for hypersonic missiles, reducing dependence on foreign satellite networks.
Further enhancements include upgrades to Japan’s Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS), which aims to deliver continuous positioning data to refine the accuracy of hypersonic missiles.
“Considering the swift expansion of China’s naval capabilities and North Korea’s ongoing missile development programme, which now encompasses the advancement of solid-fuelled ballistic missiles, the deployment of HVGP is imperative for safeguarding Japan’s territorial sovereignty,” Mangure added.
The modernisation of Japan’s military capabilities comes amid uncertainties about US support during the Trump administration and reconsideration of US forces’ expansion in Japan, says the report.
This modernisation is deemed essential for Japan to execute long-range precision strikes against land and naval targets autonomously.
“However, the operationalisation of HVGP systems is also anticipated to trigger counter deployment of comparable offensive capabilities, as well as the modernization of air defence systems by Japan’s regional adversaries which will further fuel the arms race in the Indo-Pacific,” Mangure concluded.
As per GlobalData report “Japan Defense Market 2024-2029”, Japan’s defence budget grew at a CAGR of 19.3% from 2020 to 2024 despite economic challenges.
In March 2025, Japan requested the sale of HVGP support and related equipment from the US for an estimated cost of $200m.
Japan’s Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency (ATLA) disclosed that it executed two test flights of a hypersonic glide vehicle in California during March and April 2024.
