Japan is considering deploying 1,000 long-range cruise missiles to bolster its capabilities to counter Chinaʼs likely threat.
This was reported by Reuters with reference to the Yomiuri newspaper.
According to the newspaperʼs government sources, these missiles are being modified to extend their range from 100 km to 1,000 km.
Weapons that can be launched from planes and ships will be placed around the southern Nansei Islands. These missiles are capable of reaching the coastal areas of North Korea and China.
- After World War II, Japanʼs constitution allows the use of military force only for self-defense. However, the country has increased its military spending in recent years. So far, it has refrained from deploying long-range missiles that could hit targets on foreign territory.
- Tensions in the region escalated this month after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosiʼs visit to Taiwan. On August 4, Japan protested to China that several missiles fired by its military during exercises near Taiwan fell near Japanese shores.