Japan’s government is considering deploying a surface-to-ship (SSM) missile unit to the main island in Okinawa’s island chain in response to Chinese naval movements near the strategic Miyako Strait, according to a report in the Asahi Shimbun.
Government sources told Asahi on February 26 that the deployment would serve as a check to Chinese Navy ships passing through the waterway between Miyakojima island and the main Okinawa island.
“The government plans to formulate the details of the new unit, including its scale, in the Defense Ministry and the secretariat for the National Security Council. It will incorporate them in the new National Defense Program Guidelines to be worked out by the end of this year and the Medium Term Defense Program,” Asahi reported.
According to the sources, Tokyo is mulling deploying a battery of its most advanced Type 12 SSM to the Okinawa site. The weapon’s range is about 200 kilometers.
The current National Defense Program Guidelines, worked out in 2013, stipulate that Japan will assign SSM units to defend remote islands. Japan has already decided to deploy an SSM unit to Miyakojima island, located south of the Miyako Strait, Asahi said.
The Type 12 SSM is a truck-mounted anti-ship missile developed by Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. It is an upgraded version of Japan’s Type 88 Surface-to-Ship Missile.
That’s good, China military aggression needs to be curtailed in the region.
The Philippines government has shown some signs of tolerance towards Beijing territorial claims in the south China sea giving the world most populated country a ground to believe and extend its defense forces.
Japan is the only hope the southeast Asians are hoping on to confront China evil ???? empire.
The Miyako Strait consists of a 260 km wide passageway with international waters and airspace and so nobody is yelling about the freedom of navigation?!
Oh yeah, Japan is an US friend. never mind then.