Japan responds to Chinese aggression by developing Mach 5 hypersonic missiles

Tokyo: Japan has expedited the development of hypersonic missiles to counter the increasing Chinese domination and military aggression in the Asia-Pacific along with the East China Sea. Japanese military sources have claimed that the hypersonic weapon is capable of speeds of up to Mach-5, five times the speed of sound, and sink a Chinese aircraft carrier. The hypersonic missile development makes Japan fourth country in the world to develop hypersonic missiles after the United States, Russia and China. The timing of Japan’s announcement right after China’s on the induction of nuclear-powered submarines in the navy appears to be Japan’s direct challenge to China.

The South China Morning Post, a Hong Kong-based daily, claimed that the report was based on the information received from the sources connected to the Japanese Ministry of Defence. The hypersonic missile, which the Japanese military is to induct by 2026, has been termed as an anti-ship ‘hypervelocity gliding projectile,’ or HVGP. Japan has claimed that the missile can reach the requisite height rapidly and take a dive to penetrate the target, because of the Hypersonic Gliding technology. The claim goes on to state that none of the currently functional missile defence systems can stop the missile.

For the last few years, China has implemented an aggressive defence policy to deepen its domination. The country is making significant deployments in the Indo-Pacific along with Asia. Also, China is developing as well as deploying aircraft carriers, destroyers, submarines, fighter jets and advanced missiles on a large scale, to overpower the US influence in the region.

Along with the South China Sea, the Chinese military movements are on the rise, even in the East China Sea, near Japan. The ownership of the Senkaku Islands has been a matter of contention between China and Japan since ages. Even at a time when the international community is busy fighting the Coronavirus pandemic, China’s aggressive moves have not stopped. Instead, the Chinese deployment of warships as also the intrusion of the Chinese fighter jets is continuing in the South and East China Seas.

In this scenario, the Japanese decision to expedite the development of the hypersonic missile becomes significant. The development of this hypersonic missile is believed a direct challenge to Chinese aggression as the weapon bears the capability of destroying Chinese aircraft carriers.

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