Japan's Air Self-Defense Forces arsenal should receive unique anti-ship missile with aerial target engagement capability — ASM-3 Kai. It is designed for arming Mitsubishi F-2 fighters, which are Japanese F-16 version.
Its mention with clarification about quite specific task combination appears in Japan Defense Ministry spending project for 2027 fiscal year, which TWZ noticed.
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Defense Express notes new missile is part of ASM-3 missile family from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. First version was first tested in 2017 but did not enter serial production due to short 200 km range. In 2020 decision was made to create ASM-3A, which should have twice greater range — 400 km.
Overall this involves high-speed missile accelerating to over Mach 3. According to available information, this is provided by quite unusual in design integrated engine system. Initially solid-fuel engine operates, providing missile first impulse. After its burnout, air intakes open and liquid-fuel ramjet engine engages, whose gases pass through space previously occupied by solid-fuel engine.
Missile itself weighs approximately 940 kg, of which approximately 150-200 kg is warhead. At terminal stage, radar seeker is responsible for target guidance, capable of operating in both active and passive modes.
Naturally anti-ship missiles have certain universality and modern samples can be used for engaging ground targets. They can also have additional specialization for engaging radar stations, like American AGM-88G AARGM-ER. However such combination of capabilities for engaging both ships and aircraft with one missile as in ASM-3 Kai has not been encountered before.
Although overall combination of high constant speed, significant flight range, and radar homing system genuinely already enables viewing ASM-3 as quite full air-to-air missile, at minimum for engaging such targets as AWACS aircraft, aerial tankers and military transport aircraft.
At same time, American publication notes such formulation regarding ASM-3 Kai targets may quite be error. But should note U.S. itself has AIM-174B, integrated on F/A-18. This is aviation version of SM-6 surface-to-air missile, designed for engaging aerial targets and ships.
From the Defense Express side, we urge readers to join a fundraiser for a solution that is already proving effective: the One United Fundraiser, organized by the Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation to support interceptor drones.
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