Japan decides to deploy missile defense in southern Okinawa prefecture to defend against China
The Japanese government intends to deploy 500-600 anti-aircraft and anti-ship missile units to Ishigaki, Okinawa Prefecture, one of the outermost islands in the Nansei chain of islands. From Ishigaki - less than 250 km to Taiwan.
Ishigaki is the third largest island in Okinawa Prefecture. More than 46 thousand people live on it. Plans to deploy a missile battery on the island were first announced by Tokyo back in 2018. The Japanese authorities note that the distance from Ishigaki to the Senkaku Islands, which are the subject of the territorial dispute between Japan and China, is only 110 kilometers.
So far, Japan has not yet drawn up a schedule for the deployment of an anti-missile defense force, but the military department has outlined a deployment timeline - until the end of 2022. In addition, the possibility of placing an electronic warfare unit on the westernmost inhabited island of Japan, Yonaguni, is being studied. This task in the country's Ministry of Defense is scheduled for 2023.
The main reason for such aspirations of the Japanese side is considerations of strengthening the confrontation with China. The situation in the western part of the Pacific Ocean is becoming more tense, including because of the Taiwan problem. Should China commit aggression against Taiwan, the latter's allies, including the United States, Japan and South Korea, will have to take countermeasures. Now in Okinawa, most of the American troops are based in Japan, but in addition to them, Tokyo is planning to strengthen its own military presence in the Ryukyu archipelago.
The Japanese authorities are particularly alarmed by China's buildup of its naval potential. The Chinese fleet is increasing the number of ships and weapons in the Taiwan area, and this circumstance is very disliked by both the American and Japanese military. The Japanese-deployed missile unit is expected to be deployed against China in the event of an armed attack from the latter.
Japan's capabilities can play, according to several experts, an important role in preventing the Chinese the fleet... However, the strength of the deployed forces seems to be insufficient to the Japanese military. Therefore, Tokyo is studying the possibilities of further strengthening the military presence in the western part of the Pacific Ocean. In addition, Japan is increasingly talking about the need to ensure the preservation of democracy in Taiwan. In the opinion of the Japanese leadership, all forces that fear the growth of China's influence in the western part of the Pacific Ocean should be interested in preserving Taiwan's sovereignty.
Japan's increase in its military presence on the Ryukyu Islands fits into the plans of the United States, which are also interested in transferring some of the functions to ensure security in this part of the Pacific Ocean to their military-political partners.
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