<h1>Defense ministry accelerating deployment of domestic Type-12 long-range anti-ship missiles, first batch by March 2026</h1> The national defense ministry announced it will accelerate deployment of domestically developed long-range Type-12 anti-ship missiles-first batch to be installed at a southwestern army base by March 2026-boosting strike-back capabilities amid rising regional tensions. The missiles have about a 1,000 km range; the ministry also plans later deployment of allied-developed cruise missiles and expanded use of unmanned air, surface, and underwater drones for coastal surveillance. The government is increasing defense spending to 2% of GDP by 2027 and requested a record fiscal budget focused on long-range missiles and drones in response to assertive activity by a neighboring naval power and tensions involving other regional states.