The ASM-3 is a
supersonic
Supersonic speed is the speed of an object that exceeds the speed of sound (Mach 1). For objects traveling in dry air of a temperature of 20 °C (68 °F) at sea level, this speed is approximately . Speeds greater than five times ...
anti-ship missile
An anti-ship missile (AShM or ASM) is a guided missile that is designed for use against ships and large boats. Most anti-ship missiles are of the sea-skimming variety, and many use a combination of inertial guidance and active radar homing. ...
being developed by
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational engineering, electrical equipment and electronics corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. MHI is one of the core companies of the Mitsubishi Group and its automobile division is the prede ...
to replace the
ASM-1 and
ASM-2 missiles. The major launch platform is the
Mitsubishi F-2
The Mitsubishi F-2 is a multirole fighter derived from the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, and manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Lockheed Martin for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, with a 60/40 split in manufacturing betw ...
. Planned
Initial Operational Capability
Initial operating capability or initial operational capability (IOC) is the state achieved when a capability is available in its minimum usefully deployable form. The term is often used in government or military procurement.
The United States D ...
was 2016. The missile will be used by the
Japan Air Self-Defense Force
The , , also referred to as the Japanese Air Force, is the Aerial warfare, air and space warfare, space branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, responsible for the defense of Japanese airspace, other air and space operations, cyberwarfare and ...
. 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.
In February 2017, an F-2 carried out a jettison test of the missile as a precursor to a live firing. Mass production was planned to begin in 2018 but stopped due to the further upgrade program that has been planned. Footage of a test launch was released in August 2017.
Improvement program
Despite its development being completed in 2017, the missile was not deployed because its range () was deemed too short to effectively counter the Chinese Navy's long range air-defense. In March 2019, it was reported that the ASM-3 would have its range extended to or more.
In December 2019, the Japanese Defense Ministry secured ¥10.3 billion to upgrade the missile in its 2020 budget. In December 2020, Japan MoD announced the ASM-3A, a variant of the ASM-3 with extended range, 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.
The ASM-3 may be used by the F-2's successor once the aircraft retires in the 2030s.
Variants
*ASM-3A - Extended range version of ASM-3.
*ASM-3 Kai () - Improved version of ASM-3A.
See also
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Comparable missiles
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*ANS (
anti navire supersonique, cancelled French project)
References
External links
Policy evaluation reports
{{Japanese missiles
Anti-ship missiles of Japan
Anti-ship cruise missiles