Deterrence Is Key: Are U.S. Troops Headed to the Senkaku Islands?
The strategic logic for emplacing troops on the Senkakus is blurrier than the physical feasibility of doing so.
Here s What You Need to Know: Seapower would be critical to such a venture. If Japanese and U.S. maritime forces could reimpose command of the air and sea around an occupied island, they would confront the PLA with an uncomfortable case of role reversal. Chinese occupiers could find themselves playing the part of beleaguered Philippine marines at Second Thomas Shoal.
U.S. troops landing on the Senkaku Islands? Could be.
World War III: How the Senkaku Islands Could Spark a U.S.-China War
If soldiers from China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) ensconced themselves in the archipelago they would hold a flanking position within striking range of Taiwan and the midsection of Asia’s first island chain.
Here s What You Need to Remember: It will be up to the Self-Defense Forces to tap the islands’ natural defenses, much as wise armed forces fortify major bases to ward off seaborne or airborne assault. Whether the JSDF should act is a political decision to be made in Tokyo in consultation with Washington.