On Tuesday (24th), Japanese Defense Minister Taro Kono announced in a press conference after the cabinet meeting that Japan plans to deploy missile forces in Okinawa Prefecture and Yonaguni Island within five years.
According to reports from media such as the “Mainichi Shimbun,” Defense Minister Taro Kono stated that by March 2031, Japan will deploy the Type 03 medium-range surface-to-air missile system on Yonaguni Island (with the capability to counter air threats such as aircraft and ballistic missiles). This is the first time the Japanese government has disclosed a timetable for missile deployment on the island.
Kono told reporters, “The specific timetable depends on the progress of facility preparation, but we plan to complete the deployment by the fiscal year 2030.”
He also mentioned that a community briefing related to this will be held on March 2.
Yonaguni Island is approximately 110 kilometers from Taiwan and is located at the westernmost point of Japan. Japan established a Ground Self-Defense Force base on Yonaguni Island in 2016, where a coastal surveillance unit is deployed.
Kono’s statement comes at a time of tense diplomatic relations between Tokyo and Beijing.
In November of last year, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takai told parliament members that if a conflict arising from a Chinese attack on Taiwan poses a survival threat to Japan, the Self-Defense Forces may intervene.
Takai’s statement provoked a strong reaction from China, leading to a series of retaliatory measures, including issuing travel warnings to Japan, halting the import of certain Japanese aquatic products, and canceling performances by Japanese artists in mainland China. Faced with Chinese pressure, Takai has made it clear that she will not retract her statements.
Just a day before Kono announced the missile deployment schedule on Yonaguni Island, on February 23, China imposed export controls on 20 Japanese companies and entities citing national security reasons.
Kono visited Yonaguni Island in November last year. His latest statement coincides with Prime Minister Sanae Takai’s overwhelming victory in parliament elections earlier this month. Analysts believe that this election win provides Takai a historic opportunity to strengthen Japan’s defense.
According to BBC reports, Defense Minister Kono’s announcement of the missile deployment schedule on Yonaguni Island is not just a military adjustment but also a bold move by Tokyo. With Sanae Takai’s continued expansion of the national military and defense budget, this proactive trend will not stop here.
The announcement of missile deployment on Yonaguni Island reveals Japan’s determination to define its boundaries and defend them.
Kono also stated on Tuesday that before deploying the missile system, an electronic warfare unit with the capability to disrupt enemy communications and radar will be stationed on Yonaguni Island in the fiscal year 2026 (from April of this year to March of the next year).
In 2022, the Japanese Ministry of Defense announced the reinforcement of defense on remote islands in the western region, shifting the security focus from countering Russian threats in the north to addressing Chinese military expansion in the East China Sea. Currently, about 160 military personnel are stationed at the Yonaguni Island summit radar station, monitoring the movements of the Chinese navy around the clock.