Japanese authorities are to deploy missiles with a range of up to 1,000km on the island of Kyushu before the end of this year, Japanese media reported yesterday.
The medium-range missile systems would be capable of striking enemy vessels in the Taiwan Strait, and bases in China and North Korea, enhancing Japan’s defense capabilities and serving to protect Taiwan from a potential Chinese military attack, Kyodo News reported.
Deployment of the land-based anti-ship missile systems would begin by the end of this year, Kyodo News said, citing anonymous sources.
Photo: AP
Multiple government sources said that the missiles would be an upgraded version of Mitsubishi’s Type 12 surface-to-ship missile, Kyodo News reported.
The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force already has land-based anti-ship missile units on Kyushu, and potential deployment sites for the new missiles include Yufu in the island’s Oita Prefecture, and a garrison in Kumamoto City, it said.
However, as the missile sites could become potential targets for attacks, opposition from residents are expected, it said.
To address such concerns, the government would hold briefing sessions to gain local support, it added.
Although Okinawa is geographically closer to China, the Japanese government is wary of deploying new missiles there, as doing so could further escalate regional tensions, the report said.
As a result, Okinawa would not be included in the initial phase of the missiles’ deployment, it said.
The decision to deploy the new missiles is being seen by some military analysts as a shift in Japan’s defense strategy toward a more offensive-oriented “counterstrike capability,” it said.
Japanese authorities hope the deployment could serve as a deterrent to threats from North Korea, as well as a “check on China’s military actions in the Taiwan Strait,” the report said.
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