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Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

Why Japan’s Purchase of U.S. JASSM-ER Missiles is a Game Changer

JASSM XR
JASSM XR. Image Credit: Lockheed Martin.

Key Points and Summary: In response to China’s escalating aggression in the Indo-Pacific, Japan is bolstering its defense capabilities with the acquisition of U.S.-made AGM-158B JASSM-ER missiles.

-These advanced cruise missiles, with a range of over 500 nautical miles, will enable Japan’s F-15 and F-35 fleets to target Chinese military facilities along its eastern seaboard.

-The move aligns with Tokyo’s updated defense guidelines, which now include counterstrike capabilities, signaling a shift from Japan’s traditionally pacifist posture.

-As China continues provocative activities near Japan’s airspace and waters, Tokyo’s strengthened arsenal aims to deter further encroachments and ensure regional stability.

Tokyo Arms Up: JASSM-ER Missiles Join Japan’s Growing Arsenal

On January 15, 2025, as the Defense Security Cooperation Agency reported, the Department of State approved a possible sale of Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles with Extended Range (JASSM-ER) to the Government of Japan.

The sale is more than “possible”; we can consider it a done deal. Japan needs additional capabilities in light of China’s unabashed regional aggression, and the U.S. would love to give Beijing something extra to think about before pushing too hard.   

Arming to the Teeth

The sale is worth an estimated $39 million. The shipment will cover 16 AGM-158B/B-2, JASSM-ER cruise missiles, related equipment, transport, technical support, and logistics support services. This high-end sale comes on the heels of Tokyo acquiring 50 JASSM-ER missiles in 2024 via a contract concluded in 2023 worth $104 million. 

In addition to filling out their arsenal with JASSM-ER cruise missiles, Tokyo this year also purchased 1,200 AIM-120D-3 and AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM missiles for $3.64 billion. 

This drastic uptick in the ability of the Japanese Self-Defense Force to hit hard and at greater distances was initiated by an update to Japan’s defense guidelines in 2022, which introduced counterstrike capabilities.

The update signaled a major shift in its defense posture, which its pacifist constitution had constrained. 

A Detailed Look at the JASSM-ER Cruise Missile

The JASSM-ER, is a cruise missile with enhanced stealth capabilities, allowing it to evade enemy radar. Its infrared seeker, anti-jam GPS unit, and internal navigation system guide the missile to its target. 

These advanced systems allow the weapon to smash through the front door or the underground, reinforced concrete ceiling. It doesn’t matter; there isn’t a whole lot that will resist the 2,600 lb. weapon.

Once the warhead explodes, whatever the target is, it will be transformed into twisted wreckage or vaporized, in the case of enemy combatants. 

Technical Specification for the JASSM-ER Cruise Missiles

Length………………………………………………168 in / 4.26m

Width………………………………………………..>25 in / >63.5 cm

Range……………………………………………….>500 nmi / >926 km 

Warhead …………………………………………..1,000-lb

Blast Fragmentation Seeker………………………………………………Infrared 

Storage …………………………………………….15 years

Details provided by Lockheed Martin.

China’s Nefarious Strategy

These weapons procurements beg the question, why? Why is Japan arming to the teeth? 

For Tokyo, the writing is on the wall; Japanese military planners have been closely watching events unfold near the Philippines and Taiwan. China’s strategy is right out in the open. First, Beijing lays false claims such as claiming Taiwan is part of China, or claiming the entire South China Sea as its personal lake. 

Then, to support these false claims, China uses its paramilitary organizations, such as its Coast Guard, to intimidate or assault the maritime policing organizations or military units of neighboring countries, as seen with the Philippines. Or, China uses its maritime militia (disguised as fishing boats, again in the case of the Philippines) to squat inside another country’s exclusive economic zone, effectively controlling it. 

In the case of Japan, as with Taiwan, Beijing is using its military to probe its capabilities and response timing to wear down Japan’s military personnel and equipment. In 2023, Chinese Air Force activity near Japan’s airspace forced the Japan Air Self-Defense Force to launch its aircraft 392 times, in order interdict them.

In two of the most provocative cases in 2024, a Chinese aircraft and vessel actually violated Japanese maritime boundary and airspace, a signal that it has no respect for Japan or its sovereign territory. 

On August 26, 2024, a Chinese Y-9 surveillance aircraft breached Japanese airspace over a small island off of Kyushu, Japan’s largest southern island, an unprecedented move by a Chinese military aircraft. Then, days later, on August 31st, a Chinese survey vessel briefly entered Japanese territorial waters in the southwest of Kuchinoerabu Island (south of Kyushu).

F-15E with JASSM.

A U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle flies with a Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM). JASSM-Extended Range has more than two-and-a-half times the range of JASSM for greater standoff distance. Photo credit: U.S. Air Force. (PRNewsfoto/Lockheed Martin)

Japan Needs the Munitions to Make China Blink

In light of Bejing’s aggressive and abusive regional behavior, Japan, much like other states in the region, is purchasing weapons to make itself a more challenging target. Who wouldn’t buy a pistol or a shotgun if they knew their next-door neighbor was a violent criminal?

As such, Tokyo plans to upgrade its fleet of F-15s and F-35 A/Bs with the ability to carry the JASSM-ER. Currently, the Japanese Air-Self Defense Force operates 42 F-35As (it is committed to purchasing 147 of the multirole aircraft) and 200 Mitsubishi F-15s. Of that number 68 are being retrofitted with equipment that will allow them to carry the JASSM-ER. 

The missiles, with a range of 500 nautical miles, will allow Tokyo to launch retaliatory strikes on Chinese military facilities along China’s eastern seaboard. This, along with Japan’s other military programs and capability enhancements, will surely give Beijing and its military planners pause before becoming too adventurous.

JASSM.

Image: Creative Commons.

About the Author: Christian P. Martin

Christian P. Martin is a Michigan-based writer; he earned a Master’s degree in Defense & Strategic Studies (Summa cum laude) from the University of Texas, El Paso. Currently, he is a research assistant at the Asia Pacific Security Innovation Forum. Concerning writing, he has published several dozen articles in places like Simple Flying, SOFREP, SOF News, and other outlets.

Written By

Christian P. Martin is a Michigan-based writer; he earned a Master’s degree in Defense & Strategic Studies (Summa cum laude) from the University of Texas, El Paso. Currently, he is a research assistant at the Asia Pacific Security Innovation Forum. Concerning writing, he has published several dozen articles in places like Simple Flying, SOFREP, SOF News, and The Collector.

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