Japan is considering deploying long-range missiles on the southwestern island of Kyushu as part of the country's efforts to acquire "counterstrike capabilities" to hit enemy targets in the event of an emergency, government sources said Saturday.
The deployment, expected to commence at the end of the next fiscal year in March 2026, is aimed at bolstering the security of the country's southwestern Nansei island chain, strategically important for its proximity to Taiwan, amid growing fears the self-ruled democratic island may be invaded by China.
China regards Taiwan as a renegade province that must be reunified with the mainland, by force if necessary.
Authorities are assessing possible deployment sites, with local residents concerned they could be targeted in enemy attacks, the sources said.
The missiles may be deployed at the Ground-Self Defense Force's surface-to-ship missile regiment garrisons in Yufu in Oita Prefecture and the city of Kumamoto, according to the sources.
The southern island prefecture of Okinawa, which lies closer to mainland China, is unlikely to be a deployment site amid concern it could heighten tensions with Beijing, the sources said.
The missiles to be deployed are an upgraded version of the GSDF's Type-12 land-to-ship guided missile, with an extended range of 1,000 kilometers. Deployment in Kyushu would put North Korea and China's coastal areas within range.
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