TOKYO: According to the Yomiuri newspaper, Japan is considering deploying 1,000 long-range cruise missiles to boost its counterattack capability against China (Aug 21).
The missiles would be existing weapons modified to increase their range from 100km to 1,000km, according to the daily, citing government sources.
The arms, which would be launched by ships or aircraft, would be stationed primarily around the southern Nansei islands and would be capable of reaching North Korean and Chinese coastal areas, according to the Yomiuri.
A request for comment on the report was not immediately responded to by representatives from Japan’s foreign ministry.
Japan, which interprets its postwar constitution as allowing it to use its military only for self-defense, has increased military spending and adopted a more assertive strategy in recent years.
However, among its limitations on weapons capable of striking targets on foreign soil, it has refrained from deploying long-range missiles.
The visit of Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the United States House of Representatives, to Taiwan, which is self-ruled but claimed by China, heightened regional tensions this month.
