Agencies-Gaza post
Japan to deploy 1,000 long-range cruise missiles
Japan will deploy 1,000 long-range cruise missiles to enhance its counter-attack capability against China, the Yomiuri newspaper reported Sunday.
The newspaper, quoting government sources, said that the missiles would be current weapons modified to expand their range from 100 kilometers to 1,000 kilometers.
Yomiuri added that the weapons, which will be launched by ships or aircraft, will be mainly stationed around the southern Nansai islands and able to reach the coastal areas of North Korea and China.
Representatives of the Japanese Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report.
Japan has increased its military spending and adopted a more assertive strategy in recent years, but has refrained from deploying long-range missiles within its borders for weapons that can strike targets on foreign soil.
Regional tensions escalated this month after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan.
