Breaking away from its post-war pacifist traditions, Japan sank a decommissioned ship using the long-range Type-88 missile as part of the ongoing Balikatan 2026 multi-national military drills hosted by the Philippines.
The Japanese Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) fired Type 88 surface-to-ship missiles on May 5, hitting a mock enemy ship, the decommissioned Philippine Navy’s Quezon corvette, about 75 kilometers off the shores of Paoay, Ilocos Norte, in northwest Philippines. This is the first such live-fire event conducted by Tokyo in the Southeast Asian country, despite close ties.
The Japanese forces reportedly fired two Type-88 missiles from a coastal position in northwestern Luzon and sank a decommissioned vessel of the Philippines Navy that was floating about 50 miles (80 kilometers) offshore.
The target ship—the BRP Quezon—was a World War-era vessel that was originally commissioned into the US Navy as the minesweeper USS Vigilance and deployed against Japan during World War II before being transferred to the Philippines.
Besides the Japanese forces, the Philippine Navy frigates BRP Miguel Malvar and Antonio Luna, and the Canadian Navy’s frigate HMCS Charlottetown, were also involved in the strike. Additionally, the event was joined by multiple military aircraft, including a US Navy P-8 Poseidon, an MQ-9 drone, and Philippine FA-50 and Super Tucano aircraft.
Sec. Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr., together with Japanese DefMin Shinjirō Koizumi, witnessed today’s live fire exercise of Japan's Type 88 Surface-to-Ship Missile System at Paoay Sand Dunes in Ilocos Norte, highlighting the interoperability among the @TeamAFP and partner forces.🇵🇭🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/XL8GaQNCoR
— Department of National Defense – Philippines (@dndphl) May 6, 2026
Not just that, the nearby troops of the Hawaii-based 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment deployed their own air defense and anti-ship systems, including MADIS (Marine Air Defense Interdiction System) and NMESIS (Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System). However, the American launcher stopped short of firing its own munition in the exercise.
The exercise was observed in person by Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., as reported by the Filipino Ministry of National Defense (MND), with the latter describing the firing as an opportunity to deepen bilateral relations with Japan and assess Japan’s capabilities.
Japan Self-Defense Force Type 88s fire away at Balikatan 2026. pic.twitter.com/coaA69Cy9a
— Aaron-Matthew Lariosa (@AaronMatthew_L) May 6, 2026
The live-firing of the missile is significant, as this is the first time Japan has participated in the Balikatan drills in a combat capacity rather than merely attending as an observer.
The local Japanese media reported that while Japan has been sending observers to Balikatan since 2012, its participation in the current iteration of the drills has been seen as a major policy shift, particularly as Tokyo relinquishes postwar restrictions on its armed forces.
Tokyo has deployed about 1,400 troops, along with multiple warships, aircraft, and anti-ship missile systems, as it seeks a closer relationship with partners in the Indo-Pacific, perhaps to deter China more effectively amid rising tensions.
The exercise was conducted in northern Luzon, near the Luzon Strait, which Chinese ships use to transit from the South China Sea to the Western Pacific, enabling power projection, submarine operations, and surveillance while monitoring regional activity. Additionally, analysts believe that the strait, which basically separates the Philippines from Taiwan, would be used by China if it invades Taiwan.
China was quick to condemn the launch of the Japanese long-range missile in what it virtually considers its backyard. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, Lin Jian, stated that Japan’s right-wing forces are pushing for accelerated remilitarization, according to the Chinese state-owned Global Times.
“Japan’s neo-militarism is rising and posing a threat to regional peace and stability,” the spokesperson was quoted as saying.
The firing came after the US and the Philippines joined forces to launch a Tomahawk missile from the Typhon Mid-Range Capability (MRC) long-range missile system as part of the drills, and troops from the US, the Philippines, Japan, and Canada participated in a counter-landing operation against a notional enemy, considered to be Beijing.
China had warned the US, Japan, and the Philippines against “playing with fire” ahead of the drills. “We wish to remind the countries concerned that blindly binding themselves together in the name of security will only be akin to playing with fire — ultimately backfiring upon themselves,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun had stated.
Japan’s Type-88 Missile
The Type 88 is a subsonic, mobile anti-ship missile developed in the 1980s for coastal defense. It is a sea-skimming missile powered by a solid-fuel rocket booster for launch and a Mitsubishi TJM3 turbojet for sustained cruise.
The missile has a launch weight of more than 600 kg, a length of about 5.08 m (including the booster), and carries a 225-kilogram high-explosive warhead. The missile uses active radar homing in the terminal phase for precise targeting, inertial navigation for mid-course guidance, and terrain-avoidance capabilities while flying at low altitudes over land.
Although the missile’s operational range is usually stated as 150–180 kilometers, it is frequently launched from locations as far inland as 100 kilometers to enhance survivability.
A typical Type 88 battery consists of many transporter-erector-launchers (TELs), each carrying six missiles in canisters. These TELs are frequently based on Type 74 or comparable truck chassis. Command posts, refill trucks, phased-array radars, and fire-control vehicles are some of the auxiliary or supporting parts of the missile system. The Type 088 can deliver synchronized salvos and be deployed in about 45 minutes.
Notably, Japan has acquired around 54 TELs, organizing them into regiments for strategic coastal coverage, particularly in key areas such as Hokkaido and the southwestern islands. In June 2025, the JGSDF conducted its first domestic live-fire test on Japanese soil at the Shizunai Anti-Air Firing Range in Hokkaido, using training missiles against a maritime target, as reported by Japanese media at the time.
Analysts believe that although the missile does not pose a significant threat to China, its firing in the Philippines is of interest to Beijing because, until now, the JGSDF has relied on large training facilities in Australia and the United States to conduct these missile launch exercises. The decision to conduct this exercise in Manila marks a significant shift in Japan’s security strategy amid escalating regional tensions.
Japan has repeatedly described neighboring China as its greatest security challenge and has undertaken a major military modernization drive (including advancing counter-strike capability with long-range missiles) to deter Beijing. Additionally, it has been steadily forging closer ties with other states in the region that remain at odds with China.
Analysts have noted that Japan’s firing of the Type 88 demonstrates its readiness to advance defense capabilities and increase interoperability with partners, particularly the US-led trilateral cooperation.
Beijing perceives this as part of encirclement or containment along the First Island Chain.
The latest firing has infuriated China as it mainly normalizes Japanese missile deployments and live-firing on Philippine territory facing Chinese-claimed areas, and probably sounds the bugle of enhanced Japanese military activity near the South China Sea.
It also notably strengthens deterrence by demonstrating rapid deployability and joint-strike proficiency against maritime targets.
The Type 088 was designed with the Soviet military in mind, the principal threat to Tokyo at the time. However, amid the region’s changing security architecture, Tokyo plans to replace these older missiles with the newer, upgraded Type 12 missile.
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