Japan is planning to remodel its existing surface-to-air guided missiles so that they can intercept hypersonic glide weapons, which are believed to be under development by countries such as China and Russia, according to a source familiar with the matter.
The government aims to begin mass production of the remodeled Type-03 intermediate-range guided missiles deployed by the Ground Self-Defense Force by fiscal 2029 starting in April that year, after updating their launch software by fiscal 2026, the source said Monday.
As part of efforts to boost "comprehensive air and missile defense" capability, the government will mention remodeling the missile interceptors in the National Security Strategy, a long-term policy guideline that is expected to be revised by the end of this year, the source said.