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At DSEI Japan 2023, Kawasaki Heavy Industry (KHI) unveiled a new type of stealthy anti-ship missile called “Island defense anti-ship missile (島嶼防衛用新対艦誘導弾 in Japanese)”.

Island defense anti-ship missile (島嶼防衛用新対艦誘導弾)

Yoshihiro Inaba story with additional reporting by Xavier Vavasseur
A sign below the models reads in English language:
KHI Original Concept Model
Long range, Low RCS, Cruise missile

• With Turbo fan engine from KHI
• All parts from Japanese company
• By precision guidance

 
 
A KHI expert explained that research budgets for related technologies for this missile were included in the defense budget from FY2018 to FY2022, and the budget for FY2023 continues to include 34.2 billion yen ($261 USD).

The scale model on display on KHI stand features large wings, four tail fins/stabilizers and a flush air intake on the underside of the body. The overall shape is designed to make the missile stealthy like the JSM.
According to KHI officials, the missile aims for longer range, low RCS (radar cross section), and high maneuverability, as well as high survivability in order to avoid interception by enemy air defense systems.
In addition, the development of the main body of this missile, which aims for a low RCS, and the development of the engine to be mounted on it is carried out separately, and these will eventually be integrated. As for the engine to be installed on the “island defense anti-ship missile”, the plan is to fit the KJ300, a new turbofan engine currently being developed by KHI. Also, according to Defense Ministry documents, the missile is touted as modular and capable of a wide variety of missions.

However, this missile is only in the research stage, and whether or not a missile based on the technology obtained in this research will eventually be put into service will depend on the requirements of Japan’s Ministry of Defense. Naval News understands that the operational concept of this missile is to be placed on Japan’s Southern islands such as Senkaku in order to deter China from conducting landing operations on (or transiting through) the “first island chain”. The missile is not intended to be launched from ships.