"Military Subplane" Author: Mecha 888
▲Test photos of the upgraded Type 12 anti-ship missile displayed in Japan's 2024 Defense White Paper (picture source: Internet)
A few days ago, the Ministry of Defense of Japan officially released its 2024 "Defense White Paper" to the outside world, and in the white paper, once again high-profile display of the new generation of stealth cruise missiles it developed, namely: upgraded Type 12 anti-ship missiles (also known as: capable upward Type 12 anti-ship missiles) test photos.
▲Wind tunnel model test photo of the upgraded Type 12 anti-ship missile displayed in Japan's 2022 Defense White Paper (picture source: Internet)
In fact, as early as July 22, 2022, in Japan's 2022 Defense White Paper, Japan released for the first time wind tunnel model test photos of the upgraded Type 12 anti-ship missile. However, in the photo at that time, the appearance of the missile was still relatively vague, giving people the feeling of "holding the pipa and half-covering its face". In the 2024 "Defense White Paper", the appearance of the upgraded Type 12 anti-ship missile is generously displayed, so it also gives the outside world the opportunity to analyze the actual performance level of this missile more carefully.
▲The launch moment of the Type 12 anti-ship missile used by the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (Image source: Internet)
Combined with the information previously disclosed by Japan, the upgraded Type 12 anti-ship missile is an improvement on the Type 12 anti-ship missile equipped by the Japan Self-Defense Forces, and its development and manufacturer is Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Group. Compared with the past Type 12 anti-ship missile, the biggest feature of the upgraded Type 12 anti-ship missile is the use of stealth design, its frontal RCS is reported to be at least 0.01 square meters of the level, at the same time, with a low infrared signature signature, and inherited the Type 12 anti-ship missile subsonic flight, multi-platform use and multi-purpose capabilities, so that the upgraded Type 12 anti-ship missile has become a new subsonic multi-purpose anti-ship cruise missile with stealth capabilities and can be used on different combat platforms.
▲Schematic diagram of the main improvement points of the upgraded Type 12 anti-ship missile (picture source: Internet)
In terms of other performance, the upgraded Type 12 anti-ship missile has a minimum flight altitude of 5 meters, and due to the use of a new generation of small engines and fuel, coupled with its replacement with large foldable wings with greater lift, the maximum range is reported to have reached 900 kilometers, and in the future, it is planned to further extend to 1500 kilometers. At the same time, the upgraded Type 12 anti-ship missile is also equipped with a new generation of semi-armor-piercing warhead and an active phased array radar seeker using the Ka-band, and its guidance system is "inertial guidance + GPS guidance + terrain matching guidance + terminal active radar guidance", and the application of a missile-borne two-way data link, so that the upgraded Type 12 anti-ship missile has the ability of "man-in-the-loop". In addition, the upgraded Type 12 anti-ship missile also has the functions of dynamic target correction and complex route planning, among which, the former can allow the upgraded Type 12 anti-ship missile to continuously receive the latest information data of the target through the satellite system during the flight, so as to improve its strike accuracy, and the latter can make the upgraded Type 12 anti-ship missile have better penetration efficiency.
▲Schematic diagram of the combat process of the upgraded Type 12 anti-ship missile (picture source: Internet)
▲Side-view schematic diagram of the appearance of the upgraded Type 12 anti-ship missile of the land-based version (top) and sea-based version (bottom) (picture source: Internet)
According to Japan's previously disclosed plan, the main targets of the upgraded Type 12 anti-ship missile in the future include the enemy's large and medium-sized surface ships and various land fixed targets, and the main platforms include mobile missile launchers of the Ground Self-Defense Force, the main combat ships of the Maritime Self-Defense Force, of which the land-based version of the upgraded Type 12 anti-ship missile will be developed between fiscal years 2021-2025, and the sea-based version of the upgraded Type 12 anti-ship missile is planned to be developed in fiscal years 2022-2026. At the same time, Japan has also planned to develop an air-based version of the upgraded Type 12 anti-ship missile, which is reported to be equipped on the P-1 anti-submarine patrol aircraft of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and the F-15JSI fighter of the Air Self-Defense Force in the future, or will be installed on Japan's pallet ammunition system for use on the C-2 transport aircraft of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, and its development time is planned for fiscal 2024-2028.
▲The improved 052D missile destroyer of our army equipped with a new meter-wave anti-stealth radar, which further improves the detection ability of stealth targets (picture source: Internet)
To sum up, although the upgraded Type 12 anti-ship missile is a subsonic missile, due to its long range, high hitting accuracy, and strong stealth penetration capabilities, it will become a "killer" equipment specially used to strike the enemy's high-value surface warships or land targets in the future equipped by the Japan Self-Defense Forces. As a close neighbor and potential adversary of Japan, although the current air defense and anti-missile capabilities of the PLA Navy and Air Force have made great progress compared with the past, especially the large surface warships of the Navy, which have generally achieved "phased array", but for new stealth missiles such as upgraded Type 12 anti-ship missiles, there is still a lack of more effective countermeasures, such as 052D, 055 and other cutting-edge large destroyers, It is also possible to hope for a probable discovery of the upgraded Type 12 anti-ship missile through the ship's meter-wave radar.
Therefore, from this point of view, the main ships of our navy must further improve their ability to detect stealth targets and equip them with a new generation of detection equipment and interception ammunition, so as to gain better battlefield initiative in possible future engagements.