Japan's Self-Defense Forces Deploy Type 25 Anti-Ship Guided Missile for the First Time in Keen Sword 27; 1000 km Range Changes Southwest Defense

In the Japan-U.S. joint integrated exercise "Keen Sword 27," which began on October 19, the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force's Type 25 anti-ship guided missile was deployed for the first time in practical training. According to the Joint Staff Office, the exercise will continue until the 29th, with approximately 45,000 Self-Defense Forces personnel, 6,100 vehicles, 40 ships, and 260 aircraft participating. The scale of U.S. military participation is about 12,000 personnel.

Range of the Type 25 Demonstrates Southwest Islands Capability

The Type 25 is launched from a vehicle-mounted launcher and has a range of approximately 1,000 kilometers. This time, the Ground Self-Defense Force deployed the missile to Yonaguni Island, which is about 110 kilometers from Taiwan. However, live-fire exercises will not be conducted; instead, the training will focus on procedures from target detection to attack. This is not merely a display of equipment. It serves as a venue to verify whether sensors, command and communication, launch units, and information from the Maritime and Air Self-Defense Forces can be connected into a single engagement cycle.

Focus on Japan-U.S. Distributed Operations

The U.S. Marine Corps has deployed ground-launched anti-ship missiles (NMESIS) and a short-range air defense system (MADIS) on the same Yonaguni Island, while HIMARS has been stationed on Ishigaki Island. The Ministry of Defense's plans include integrated air defense and missile defense, offensive anti-ship operations, mine warfare, amphibious operations, as well as responses to cyber attacks, information warfare, space domain awareness, electronic warfare, and logistics. The core of the exercise is not to showcase the firepower of fixed bases, but to demonstrate the effectiveness of "distributed operations," which involves moving troops and munitions between islands.

Seven countries, including France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and the Philippines, are also participating in some of the training. While this is not a joint operation explicitly naming China, it serves as a political signal that multiple countries are simultaneously involved in the crisis of the first island chain. Incorporating partners responsible for ports, transportation, and information sharing from peacetime is essential for the protection of sea lines of communication (SLOC).

Decision-Making Could Become a Weakness Rather Than Capability

On the other hand, a range of 1,000 kilometers does not automatically establish deterrence. If updates on target information, launch approvals, the use of civilian airports and ports, and resident evacuations are not processed on the same timeline, long-range firepower will remain an isolated capability. As joint training with the U.S. military progresses, the speed of political decision-making and information disclosure on the Japanese side will be scrutinized.

In my view, the true test of Keen Sword 27 is not the accuracy of the Type 25, but the system that transforms the dispersed units in the Southwest Islands into a single joint operation between Japan and the U.S.

Reference Materials

• Japan Joint Staff Office "FY2026 Japan-U.S. Bilateral Joint Exercise Keen Sword 27" September 29, 2026
• Kyodo News "Major Japan-U.S. joint military drills kick off to boost regional defense" October 19, 2026
• AP News "Japan, U.S. kick off major joint military drills focusing on southern islands" October 19, 2026
• U.S. Congressional Research Service "Japan’s Evolving Defense Policy and the U.S.-Japan Alliance" 2026