ASM-3

Air-to-surface anti-ship missile

Maximum speed Mach 3+

Guidance
system

Inertial/GPS, mid-course correction
terminal guidance: Active radar homing/Passive radar guidance

Launch
platform

Mitsubishi F-2

The ASM-3 is a supersonic anti-ship missile being developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to replace the ASM-1 and ASM-2 missiles. The major launch platform is the Mitsubishi F-2. Planned Initial Operational Capability was 2016. The missile will be used by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. It can attack not only ships, but also ground targets. Since the original model of ASM-3 had a short range of 200 km, it was not deployed immediately, and an improved model was developed from 2017 to 2020, and deployment of ASM-3A with a range of about 300～400 km started in 2021. In the future, it may also have a range of 400 km or more.

In November 2015, Japan's Ministry of Defense announced it would conduct a live-fire experiment of the XASM-3 in 2016, targeting the decommissioned ship JDS Shirane.^[1] In February 2017, an F-2 carried out a jettison test of the missile as a precursor to a live firing.^[2]^[3] Mass production was planned to begin in 2018 but stopped due to the further upgrade program that has been planned.^[4] Footage of a test launch was released in August 2017.^[5]

Improvement program

Despite its development being completed in 2017, the missile was not deployed because its range (200 km (110 nmi; 120 mi)) was deemed too short to effectively counter the Chinese Navy's long range air-defense.^{[citation needed]} In March 2019, it was reported that the ASM-3 would have its range extended to 400 km (220 nmi; 250 mi) or more.^[6]^[7]^[8]

In December 2019, the Japanese Defense Ministry secured ¥10.3 billion to upgrade the missile in its 2020 budget.^[9] In December 2020, Japan MoD announced the ASM-3A, a variant of the ASM-3 with extended range,^[10] and an intention to mass-produce it with the 2021 defense budget. Another upgraded version of the ASM-3, the ASM-3 (Kai), is also under development.^[11]^[12]

The ASM-3 may be used by the F-2's successor once the aircraft retires in the 2030s.^[13]^[14]

Variants

ASM-3A - Extended range version of ASM-3.
ASM-3 Kai (Japanese: 改) - Improved version of ASM-3A.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Japan to Test its New XASM-3 Supersonic Anti-Ship Missile Against Shirane-class Destroyer". Navy Recognition. 16 November 2015. Archived from the original on 26 November 2023.
^ "Japan May Have Tested its New XASM-3 Supersonic Anti-Ship Missile for the First Time". Navy Recognition. 4 March 2017. Archived from the original on 5 March 2017.
^ Yeo, Mike (9 March 2017). "Japan denies reports it test-fired XASM-3 missile". Defense News. Archived from the original on 28 January 2018.
^ "Japan to Produce and Procure XASM-3 Supersonic Anti-Ship Missile in 2018". Navy Recognition. 19 July 2017. Archived from the original on 19 July 2017.
^ Video: Japan's XASM-3 Supersonic Anti-Ship Missile Test Launch - Navyrecognition.com, 2 August 2017
^ "Japan to develop long-range, air-to-ship cruise missiles". The Japan Times. 18 March 2019. Archived from the original on 19 March 2019.
^ "Japan To Extend Range Of ASM-3 Anti-Ship Missile". Aviation Week. 20 March 2019. Archived from the original on 28 September 2021.
^ Takahashi, Kosuke (20 March 2019). "Japan to develop long-range air-to-surface cruise missiles". Janes. Archived from the original on 5 January 2024. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
^ "Defense Programs and Budget of Japan – Overview of FY2022 Budget" (PDF). Ministry of Defense (Japan). 16 December 2019. p. 15. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 April 2022.
^ "Policy evaluation overview for ASM-3" (PDF). Ministry of Defense (Japan) (in Japanese). 4 September 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 September 2020.
^ Inaba, Yoshihiro (30 December 2020). "Japan to Field New ASM-3A Long Range Supersonic Anti-Ship Missile". Naval News. Archived from the original on 30 December 2020. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
^ Takahashi, Kosuke (4 January 2021). "Japan to begin mass production of new ASM-3A supersonic anti-ship missile". Janes. Archived from the original on 5 January 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
^ "Japan plans to develop home-made long-range anti-ship missile to counter threat". The Japan Times. 23 March 2019. Archived from the original on 23 March 2019. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
^ "Japan announces longer-range cruise missile development". The Mainichi. 19 March 2019. Archived from the original on 24 March 2019. Retrieved 24 March 2019.