NHK reported this afternoon that Defense Minister Iwaya said at a news conference today that Japan is developing domestically-made mid- and long-range cruise missiles for deployment on the planes that will replace the Air Self-Defense Force’s F-2 fighters. Iwaya was quoted as saying that foreign ships are now using long-range anti-aircraft firearms, so Japan plans to develop longer range missiles for deployment on its fighters “for the safety of SDF members.” He added, “You could say that we are developing cruise missiles.” He indicated that the plan is to deploy the new cruise missiles on the planes that will replace the F-2 fighters, which the ASDF will begin decommissioning in the 2030s. NHK reported that while the Defense Ministry has been considering deploying foreign-made long-range cruise missiles on ASDF fighters,  it will now also work on extending the range of domestically-produced missiles in order to strengthen the defense of the Nansei Islands and enhance defense capabilities in Pacific waters around Japan.