The Japanese Ministry of Defense by 2026 plans to base Type 12 surface-to-ship missiles at three Japan Self-Defense Force bases in the Ryukyu Island chain.
PREPARATIONS: Japan has been monitoring China’s moves in the South China Sea and is increasing defense around the Ryukyu Islands, a former Japanese defense official saidBy Shelley Shan / Staff Reporter
Asia is rife with major security challenges for the United States:from the unprecedented rise of China, to the North Korean nuclearweapons program, to Southeast Asian terrorism, to theIndo-Pakistani conventional and nuclear rivalry. A one-sizemilitary or defense policy will not fit all of the challenges thatthe United States faces in Asia over the coming decades.