Amid a growing Chinese naval presence, Japan is considering additional steps to protect Miyako Strait.
The Japanese government is considering deploying surface-to-ship missile systems to the main island of Okinawa prefecture to strengthen Japan’s defense posture in response to China’s growing maritime assertiveness in the region, local media reported on February 27.
By deploying anti-ship missiles on Okinawa’s main island, the Japanese Ministry of Defense (MoD) thinks it can cover the entire Miyako Strait, located between the islands of Miyako, about 170 kilometers (105 miles) from the disputed Senkakus, and Okinawa. The strait is one of the principal gateways for the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) to the Pacific Ocean.
The Japan Self-Defense Force already plans to station anti-ship missiles on the island of Miyako in Okinawa prefecture, as well as Amami-Oshima and Ishigaki islands. Anti-ship missile units might also deploy to Yonaguni Island, part of Okinawa prefecture in the East China Sea, where Japan installed a permanent new radar station in 2016.
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WNU Editor: Anti-ship missiles on Okinawa will definitely help Japan assert its claims in the region.
