The Japan Self-Defense Forces yesterday fired a Type 88 anti-ship missile during a joint maritime exercise with US, Australian and Philippine forces, hitting a decommissioned Philippine Navy ship in waters facing the disputed South China Sea, in drills that underscore Tokyo’s rising willingness to project military power on China’s doorstep.
The drill took place as Manila and Tokyo began talks on a potential defense equipment transfer, made possible by Japan’s decision to scrap restrictions on military exports.
The discussions include the possible early transfer of Abukuma-class destroyers and TC-90 aircraft to the Philippines, Japanese Minister of Defense Shinjiro Koizumi said.
Photo: Reuters
Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro and Koizumi witnessed the live missile firing on the ground, while Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr watched the exercise from military headquarters in Manila via a live video feed, the president’s office said.
The Philippine military said two Type 88 volleys were fired, hitting the former BRP Quezon within six minutes of their launch. The strikes took place about 75km off Paoay in the northern Philippines, which faces the South China Sea.
The Philippine Department of National Defense said Japan’s Type 88 missile system was “designed to defend coastal areas and deter maritime threats.”
“I’m very, very proud and happy that we were able to pull this off for the first time and it will only get larger in scope with more partners,” Teodoro said.
The live-fire drill was part of the annual war games held by Manila and Washington, known as “Balikatan,” or “shoulder-to-shoulder,” with Tokyo participating in a combat role for the first time.
This year’s Balikatan, which ends tomorrow, was joined by a record of more than 17,000 troops from seven nations. Japan is deploying 1,400 troops, making it the war games’ third-largest contingent.
For decades, Japan has restricted most of its military training to its own territory or to far-flung locations such as the US and Australia. The Type 88 missiles Japan used were first tested on its northern island of Hokkaido last year.
However, since coming to power last year, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has shown a greater willingness than her predecessors not to be intimidated by Beijing. Her suggestion in November last year that a Chinese attack on Taiwan would represent an existential threat to Japan that could trigger a military response infuriated Beijing, which has accused her administration of pursuing “neomilitarism.”
Many of the parts of Balikatan that Japan has been involved in — from maritime strikes to amphibious operations to missile defense — would be important in a potential conflict over Taiwan, said Naoko Aoki, an East Asian security specialist at the RAND Corp.
“To China, it is a demonstration of stronger cooperation between Japan and its defense partners as well as Japan’s increased combat readiness,” she said.
Takaichi is also keen to show the US that Japan is a more valuable military partner amid criticism from US President Donald Trump’s administration about allies’ overreliance on the US. Some security experts see a direct link from Balikatan to support for US forces deployed to the Middle East, including warships and troops sent from bases in Japan.
“Japan’s participation in Balikatan is a clear deterrence signal to Beijing not to attempt a takeover of Taiwan while the US is busy in the Middle East,” said John Hemmings, director of the National Security Centre at The Henry Jackson Society.
Tokyo’s dispatch of two amphibious ships and a destroyer for Balikatan, alongside aircraft, anti-ship missiles and air-and-missile defense systems, shows how much more capable the Japan Self-Defense Forces have become.
As Takaichi aims to build acceptance within Japan for its defense forces playing a greater regional role, Balikatan has offered a showcase of how they can contribute to shared security with other Asian nations, Aoki said.
It helps shape the view that Japan fields “a competent force that regularly exercises with non-US defense partners,” she said.
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