Claiming to offer tariff relief, Donald Trump had called upon Japan to invest more than $500 billion in investment to the US. In response, Japan canceled its business delegation’s visit to Washington for further tariff discussions.
Thus, Trump’s tariffs have put at risk even one of the oldest allies of the US, Japan, entirely reliant on the US for its own security. Following this, Japan has become more responsible for its own security and has significantly sped up the deployment of long-range missiles, positioned toward areas near China and disputed areas with China.
Why is Japan accelerating missile deployment now?
On Friday, the Defense Ministry of Japan announced its plan to deploy its domestically developed long-range missiles a year sooner than expected, as the country speeds up strengthening its strike-back capability with more regional security threats looming, reported AP. The ministry stated that the decision to speed up missile deployment was to enhance its striking capability.
How will Type-12 anti-ship missiles enhance Japan’s defense capabilities?
According to the ministry, the first batch of the domestically developed Type-12 anti-ship missiles will be stationed at its army’s Camp Kengun in the southwestern Kumamoto Prefecture of Japan by March 2026 under the new program. The Type-12 missile has an operational range of roughly 1,000 km or 620 miles.
Naval and military activities near Japan’s islands have been steadily increasing. In June, for the first time, Japan reported two aircraft carriers simultaneously operating near its southern islands. Japan is facing security issues from China, North Korea, and Russia.
This effort marks a historic change. Under its pacifist constitution dating from after World War II, Japan has employed the use of force only to defend itself against an armed attack. It called this a major policy shift in 2022 when it adopted a five-year security strategy that identified China as its most significant strategic challenge and called for closer Japan-U.S. alliance and for a more assertive role for Japan’s Self-Defense Forces.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Trump’s tariffs have put at risk even one of the oldest allies of the US.
- Naval and military activities near Japan’s islands have been steadily increasing.
- The Type-12 missile has an operational range of roughly 1,000 km or 620 miles.
- The first batch of the domestically developed Type-12 anti-ship missiles will be stationed at its army’s Camp Kengun i
Japan is now increasing its defense expenditures to 2% of GDP by 2027, approximately doubling its previous rate of spending which was in the 1% range. Japan plans on using long-range missiles, aerial drones, sea-surface drones, and underwater drones. Until its domestically produced missiles are fully operational, Japan will also deploy U.S.-made Tomahawk missiles, with deliveries set to begin later this year.