Ryan Chan
The United States is continuing to boost its military presence near China, with a new anti-ship missile system being the latest weapon to be deployed on a Japanese outlying island on the front lines of the Western Pacific.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Why It Matters
Under America's maritime containment strategy, Japan forms part of the first island chain—a north-south defensive line—along with Taiwan and the Philippines, aimed at projecting military power to deter and defend against potential Chinese aggression.
The U.S. deployment of a Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System, or NMESIS, on Okinawa Island in Japan's southwestern waters comes as China continues to expand its military presence around the island chain with its rapidly growing navy.
Serving as Washington's key security ally, Japan, which hosts over 50,000 U.S. military personnel, is also set to deploy the U.S. Typhon land-based missile system—capable of anti-air, anti-surface and land-attack missions—for a bilateral drill later this month.
What To Know
The 3rd Marine Division, based in Okinawa and tasked with operating along the first island chain, revealed on Wednesday that it has been training with the NMESIS across Okinawa Island since the missile system's arrival on July 10.
This marks the first time the NMESIS, which the 3rd Marine Division officially received last November, has deployed to Japan, serving as a major milestone for the "continuously strengthening" Washington-Tokyo alliance, according to a photo caption.
The NMESIS offers "a mobile, long-range and precise anti-ship capability," according to the 3rd Marine Division, strengthening the ability to protect critical waterways and project power from ashore, while providing a rapidly deployable island defense solution.
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