Japan is converting one of its anti-ship missiles into an air-to-air munition that can travel ultra long ranges, transforming it from a naval asset into a supersonic aerial interceptor.
The plan was unveiled in a budget document from the country’s Ministry of Defense, which stated that the transformation of the ASM-3ER missile is for countering long-range enemy systems including radar detection aircraft and aerial refueling tankers.
Originally made by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, the ASM-3ER uses an integral rocket ramjet engine to reach a range of more than 400 kilometers (249 miles).
Read the full story on NextGen Defense: From Sea to Sky: Japan Turns Anti-Ship Missile Into Supersonic Aerial Interceptor
