Japan’s Ministry of Defense in its latest annual white paper has confirmed the development of the newest hypersonic weapon systems for to “steadily build up its defense capability.”

“The security environment surrounding Japan has become increasingly severe, with various challenges and destabilizing factors becoming more tangible and acute,” states the White Paper, which was released by the Ministry of Defense (MoD) in Tokyo on 28 August.

Apparently, in order to meet modern challenges, the Ministry of Defense of Japan decided to launch a project to develop a new type of weapon that will be based on hypersonic technology.

According to a statement issued in its Defense of Japan 2018 White Paper, Japan will steadily build up its defense capability through programs that include the following in fiscal year 2018, which is the final fiscal year for the current National Defense Program Guidelines (NDPG) and the current Medium Term Defense Program (MTDP).

The statement added that Japan’s major defense programs for the fiscal year 2018 also includes the development of hyper velocity gliding projectile for defending Japanese-held islands.

Japan’s Ministry of Defense also confirmed research on element technologies of a HVGP (Hyper Velocity Gliding Projectile) intended for the defense of remote islands.

Hyper velocity is very high velocity, approximately over 3,000 meters per second. In particular, hypervelocity is velocity so high that the strength of materials upon impact is very small compared to inertial stresses.

It is assumed that HVGP’s low drag aerodynamic design enables high-velocity, maneuverability, and decreased time-to-target.

As part of major defense programs for the fiscal year 2018 conducts research on element technologies of a HVGP intended for the defense of remote islands, which can glide at high velocity and attack a target in order to enable island-to-island firing.