# Type 81 Surface-to-air Missile

> type of mobile, short-range surface-to-air missile

**Wikidata**: [Q1185600](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1185600)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_81_surface-to-air_missile)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/type-81-surface-to-air-missile

## Summary
The Type 81 Surface-to-air Missile is a mobile, short-range surface-to-air missile system developed and manufactured by Toshiba for the Japan Self-Defense Forces. It entered service in 1981 and has been produced in a quantity of 1,800 units.

## Key Facts
- **Manufacturer**: Toshiba, a Japanese multinational conglomerate headquartered in Minato, Japan
- **Operator**: Japan Self-Defense Forces
- **Service Entry**: 1981
- **Country of Origin**: Japan
- **Total Produced**: 1,800 units
- **Aliases**: ショートアロー (Short Arrow), 81式短SAM, SAM-1, 短SAM, 81型地對空飛彈
- **Instance Of**: Combat vehicle model, missile model
- **Subclass Of**: Surface-to-air missile system
- **Wikidata ID**: Freebase /m/0635cg

## FAQs
### Q: What is the primary function of the Type 81 Surface-to-air Missile?  
A: It is designed as a mobile, short-range surface-to-air missile system for air defense purposes, operated exclusively by the Japan Self-Defense Forces.

### Q: Who developed the Type 81 Surface-to-air Missile?  
A: It was developed and manufactured by Toshiba, a major Japanese electronics and defense conglomerate.

### Q: When did the Type 81 Surface-to-air Missile enter operational service?  
A: It entered service in 1981, marking Japan's indigenous short-range air defense capability for ground forces.

### Q: How many Type 81 missiles have been produced?  
A: A total of 1,800 units have been manufactured since its introduction.

### Q: What alternative names is the Type 81 known by?  
A: It is also referred to as ショートアロー, 81式短SAM, SAM-1, 短SAM, and 81型地對空飛彈 in various contexts.

## Why It Matters
The Type 81 Surface-to-air Missile represents a critical component of Japan's indigenous air defense infrastructure, providing mobile short-range protection for ground forces against aerial threats. Developed by Toshiba—a leader in Japanese electronics and defense engineering—it reflects Japan's post-World War II self-reliance in defense technology. As one of the country's first domestically produced surface-to-air systems, it enhanced the operational flexibility of the Japan Self-Defense Forces by enabling rapid deployment in diverse terrains. Its sustained production of 1,800 units over decades underscores its enduring role in Japan's national security strategy, particularly for defending troops and strategic assets from low-altitude aircraft and missiles.

## Notable For
- **Mobile Design**: Operates as a short-range, mobile surface-to-air missile system, unlike fixed-location counterparts  
- **Indigenous Development**: Japan's first domestically produced short-range air defense system, engineered by Toshiba  
- **Longevity**: Maintains continuous service since 1981 with 1,800 units produced over multiple decades  
- **Multilingual Recognition**: Documented across 9 Wikipedia language editions and Commons platform  
- **Toshiba Partnership**: Exemplifies Japan's private-public defense collaboration, leveraging Toshiba's electronics expertise

## Body
### Overview
The Type 81 Surface-to-air Missile is a mobile, short-range surface-to-air missile system classified under both combat vehicle models and missile models. It serves as a subclass of surface-to-air missile systems, providing tactical air defense for ground units.

### Development and Production
- Manufactured by Toshiba Corporation, a Japanese multinational conglomerate based in Minato, Tokyo  
- Total production reached 1,800 units, indicating sustained manufacturing commitment  
- Freebase ID: /m/0635cg for academic and cataloging purposes  
- Image documentation available via Wikimedia Commons under the category "JSDF Type 81 (SAM)"

### Operational Deployment
- Exclusively operated by the Japan Self-Defense Forces since its 1981 service entry  
- Maintains mobility as a short-range system with launch configurations suitable for field deployments  
- Recognized under multiple aliases including ショートアロー (Short Arrow) and 81式短SAM in Japanese military nomenclature

### Technical Classification
- Aliases: SAM-1, 短SAM, 81型地對空飛彈  
- Instance of: Combat vehicle model and missile model classifications  
- Subclass of: Surface-to-air missile system category  
- Wikidata description: "type of mobile, short-range surface-to-air missile"  
- Supported across 9 Wikipedia language editions (commons, de, en, fi, fr, it, ja, ko, ru)  
- Maintains 9 sitelinks across Wikimedia platforms for documentation and reference purposes

## References

1. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013