NEW: Japan’s Defense Ministry is moving a GSDF Type-12 surface-to-ship missile launcher and targeting drones to Minamitorishima, Japan’s easternmost island, as it prepares to establish a Pacific-side firing range.
The project would mark Japan’s first deployment of surface-to-ship missile infrastructure to the remote island, roughly 2,000 km southeast of Honshu, with live-fire drills expected to begin in FY2027.
Below is our visualization of the Type 12's deployment and operational range on Minamitorishima: