As tensions with China increase, Japan is working on long-range missiles.

Japan has announced plans to develop and build an array of advanced long-range missiles as it bolsters its defenses against China. The Japanese Defense Ministry has signed contracts with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) to develop and mass produce the weapons under a plan extending to 2027. The deals, worth more than $2.8 billion, follow Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s announcement in December that he planned to boost defense spending and enable Japan to possess “counterstrike capabilities.” MHI will begin mass production this year on two types of already developed missiles – ground-launched Type 12 guided missiles designed to target ships at sea and hypersonic glide missiles designed for island defense. Deployment of those weapons is scheduled for 2026 and 2027. MHI will also develop advanced versions of the Type 12 that can also be launched by aircraft and ships.

Japan's military buildup comes amid increasing tensions with China, which has been growing its naval and air forces in areas near Japan while claiming the Senkaku Islands as its sovereign territory. Additionally, China has been upping its military pressure on Taiwan, which Japanese leaders have said is vital to that of Japan. This week, Japan scrambled fighter jets as a Chinese aircraft carrier group came within 230 kilometers (143 miles) of the southern Japanese island of Miyako while it simulated strikes on Taiwan. Chinese military exercises around Taiwan last August included the launching of ballistic missiles, some of which landed in Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone.