1 photo

Missile

Japan

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

Type 91

Japanese short-range infrared-homing air-to-air missile developed for helicopters and ground-launch use by JGSDF/JASDF.

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-05

km range

1.9

Mach

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

National export licensing

Subject to Japan export-control approval; verify eligibility with the manufacturer.

Channel: Direct commercial / G2G

Fielded & proven

Operator data not public

Status: active.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

No public unit price to model from. Why so few systems publish one →

Interoperability

No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.

Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Full specifications

Performance

Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.

Performance specifications
Max speed (Mach) Maximum speed as a multiple of the speed of sound. Mach 2+ is typical for air-superiority fighters.	1.9 Mach Stronger than 44% of missiles
Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.	5 km Bottom 7% of missiles

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Firepower specifications
Warhead type Blast-fragmentation, shaped charge (HEAT), penetrator, thermobaric or nuclear-capable.	High-explosive fragmentation
Guidance How the weapon finds its target: inertial, GPS/GLONASS, active/semi-active radar, infrared, laser, TV, wire.	Imaging infrared seeker (3rd generation), Anti-flare logic

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Physical specifications
Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.	1.43 m
Width Overall width, matters for rail/road transport of vehicles.	0.08 m
Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.	12 kg

Propulsion

Engine, power and fuel.

Propulsion specifications
Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…	Solid-fuel rocket (booster + sustainer)

Specifications compiled from public Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-05.

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