Japan is preparing for war with China and deploys thousands of missiles to enhance the army’s ability to counterattack
Japan is considering deploying 1,000 long-range cruise missiles to boost its counter-attack capability against China, the Yomiuri newspaper reported on Sunday.
The Yomiuri newspaper, quoting government sources, said that the missiles would be current weapons modified to expand their range from 100 kilometers to 1,000 kilometers.
Yomiuri added that the weapons, which will be launched by ships or aircraft, will be mainly stationed around the southern Nansai islands and able to reach the coastal areas of North Korea and China.
Representatives of the Japanese Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report.
Japan has increased its military spending and adopted a more assertive strategy in recent years, but has refrained from deploying long-range missiles within its borders for weapons that can strike targets on foreign soil.
Regional tensions escalated this month after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, which is self-governing but China considers its own province. Beijing launched missiles near Taiwan and in Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
