Details of a new Japanese state-of-the-art missile may have been leaked, following a large-scale cyberattack on Mitsubishi Electric Corp, according to reports that appeared on Wednesday.
News of the apparent breach came from Japan’s Asahi Shimbun newspaper, which cited still-unidentified government sources.
According to Asahi, the ministry suspects that performance requirements that were sent to several defense-industry companies as part of the bidding process for the project, may have been disclosed.
Mitsubishi Electric has said it took part in a tender for the contract, but failed to win the prototype bid. The company told journalists it is investigating the report.
Mainichi News reported that when asked by a journalist about the leak, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga declined to provide any details.
“The Defense Ministry is closely examining the impact of the suspected leak of information on security,” Suga said.
According to the report, the missile type – thought to be a high-speed gliding missile – is used by other countries including China, the United States and Russia, and has precision-strike capabilities.
The apparent cyberattack on the electronics company may have disclosed details on the range, propulsion and heat resistance of the weapon.
Japan reportedly began studying such missiles in 2018, when it launched a study as part of efforts to counter China’s military buildup.
