Japan is to boost its defenses against cruise missiles as China increases its air strike capabilities, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported yesterday.
The defense ministry plans to increase the number of aircraft equipped with airborne warning and control systems and install state-of-the-art radar to allow early detection of precision-guided missiles, the daily said.
It is also considering developing an advanced long-range surface-to-air missile, the report said, citing senior defense ministry sources.
The government has so far mainly focused on developing a ballistic missile defense system, primarily in response to a perceived threat from North Korea.
China has equipped its fighter jets and submarines with cruise missiles that have a range in excess of 1,000km, the newspaper said. Beijing is also believed to have started developing advanced precision-guided missiles with a range of about 3,000km, it said.
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