HGV (Hyper Velocity Gliding Projectile)

HGV (Hyper Velocity Gliding Projectile)

Type: Ballistic Missile (ICBM)

Domain: land

Country of Origin: Japan

Manufacturer: Japanese Defense Industry

Overview

Japan's indigenous hypersonic weapon programme developing a boost-glide vehicle for island defence and anti-ship operations. The HGV is launched by a solid-fuel rocket booster to high altitude, where it separates and glides at hypersonic speeds (Mach 5+) toward the target, manoeuvring during the glide phase to evade missile defences. Two variants are under development: the Early Deployment Type optimised for island recapture operations with a penetrating warhead for hardened targets, and the Improved Type featuring an anti-ship seeker for engaging enemy warships at ranges exceeding 1,000 km. The programme is managed by Japan's Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA). Testing has been ongoing with the first operational deployment planned for the mid-2020s. Japan is one of only a handful of nations actively developing hypersonic glide vehicles, reflecting the urgency of countering peer threats in the Western Pacific.

Technical Specifications

roleAnti-ship; island defense; land attack
typeHypersonic Glide Vehicle
range~500-1,000 km (estimated)
speedHypersonic (Mach 5+)

Operators

Related land Weapon Systems