Japanese authorities might deploy 1,000 of its long-range cruise missiles so as to be able to carry out counterattacks against China should that be necessary, the Yomiuri newspaper reported on Sunday, citing unnamed government officials familiar with the matter.
According to one of the sources, the discussions on the matter came after the tensions in the Taiwan Strait heightened, with China increasing the number of its military drills around the island. The plan is to deploy missiles in the Nansei islands area, so as to bridge the "missile gap" with China.
The sources noted that the government is planning to extend the range of the domestically produced Type 12 surface-to-ship missiles from 100 km to approximately 1,000 km, which will then be able to reach the coastal areas of North Korea and China. The improvements will also allow for missiles to be launched from ships and fighter planes.
