As Beijing increases the militarisation of the East China Sea Tokyo will expand its network of missile sites, Japanese Minister of Defense informed on Friday.

Tokyo stated it will develop new “stand-off” anti-ship missiles that can target warships at greater distances around its southwestern Okinawa island chain, including near disputed islets in the East China Sea that China also claims.

The announcement of a new defensive installation follows the last month news about new powerful Aegis radars with at least three times the range of older Aegis systems on two new warships in order to reinforce defenses against any ballistic missiles fired by North Korea.

Communist China's under Xi Jinping with its growing hostility
to West and unconcealed plans of war to wage a war
has significantly decreased the security of the Pacific nations

The security environment around our southwestern islands has become harsh. We have to respond to that in an appropriate way, Japanese Minister of Defense Nobuo Kishi said at a press briefing.

The missiles would allow Japan to expand a strategy known as anti-access area denial, that is meant to stop foreign forces from operating freely in waters close to its home territory.

The first major defense policy decision by Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga comes as Japan acquires air-launched missiles that could be used to hit missile sites in North Korea and is considering other strike weapons such as cruise missiles that could reach ground targets in China.



Defending Japan requires long-range systems

Japan has become increasingly concerned about Chinese activity in the East China Sea, including incursions into waters around the disputed islands known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China.

Defending Japan's southwestern islands requires longer-range systems because the islands cover a large area and Japan needs overlapping fields of fire, said Zack Cooper, a research fellow at the Washington-based American Enterprise Institute.

Japan said its new stand-off missile will be based on a 200-kilometer range truck-mounted anti-ship version already deployed on the Okinawa islands.

Deployment of new Aaegis radars will take about three years and cost around $2 billion.