Japan considers acquiring a thousand long-range missiles due to tensions in the region, according to media

MADRID, 21 Ago. (EUROPA PRESS) -

Japan is considering acquiring an arsenal of more than a thousand long-range missiles, to "fill the gap with China," according to the Japanese newspaper 'Yomiuri'.

Various officials of the Japanese government would have confirmed this information to the aforementioned Japanese newspaper, who would have explained that this decision is framed as a reaction to the increase in tensions in the region after China's military exercises around Taiwan after the president of the House of Representatives of the United States, Nancy Pelosi, will visit the island at the beginning of August.

In this sense, the projectiles, which have a range of 500 to 5,500 kilometers, would be deployed from the Nansei Islands --Japan's southernmost archipelago-- to Kyushu --the country's third largest island, to the south-- , with the aim of closing the "missile gap" with China, which deploys a large number of ballistic missiles.

Also, Tokyo plans to expand the ability of its surface-to-ship missile to reach objects more than 1,000 kilometers away, with the aim of reaching the coastal areas of North Korea and China.

According to the newspaper, the authorities will review the National Security Strategy at the end of the year, at which time the Executive is expected to announce these new "counter-attack" measures to attack "enemy missile launch bases for self-defense."

The Ministry of Defense, in order to carry out this policy," plans to create a capital investment system for related companies, in addition to including expenses in the 2023 fiscal budget.