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By Ryan Chan
China News Reporter
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A Newsweek map shows the United States has deployed two missile systems in Japan for a war game, including one capable of long-range strikes reaching China's coastline.
Regarding the Typhon missile system deployment, China's Foreign Ministry accused the U.S. of undermining its security interests and escalating the risk of an arms race.
Why It Matters
Facing China's military threat, particularly its navy, the U.S. has developed the Typhon Mid-Range Capability system, a land-based weapon capable of launching two types of missiles: the 290-mile-range Standard Missile-6 and the 1,000-mile-range Tomahawk.
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During an exercise in Australia in July, a Standard Missile-6 demonstrated its anti-ship capability by sinking a maritime target after being launched from the Typhon missile system. The Tomahawk—designed for land attack—also has a ship-sinking variant.
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The deployment of the Typhon missile system in Japan highlights the allied country's importance in helping the U.S. contain China. Japan is part of the First Island Chain, a north-south defensive line in the Western Pacific designed to deter potential aggression.
What To Know
The Typhon missile system was officially deployed by the U.S. Army at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Japan on Monday, marking its first deployment in the country.
The deployment was previously announced as part of Exercise Resolute Dragon 25, conducted by the U.S. III Marine Expeditionary Force and the Japan Self-Defense Force, aiming to rehearse "bilateral crisis response and contingency operations."
The exercise took place across Japan and is scheduled to conclude on September 25.
According to a Newsweek map, the Iwakuni-based Typhon missile system can strike China's northern, eastern and southeastern coastline, as well as half of Taiwan, the entire Korean Peninsula and parts of Russia's Far East using Tomahawk missiles.
Meanwhile, the Standard Missile-6 can only strike targets in waters around three of Japan's four main islands—Honshu, Kyushu and Shikoku—from the same location.
On Tuesday, China urged the U.S. and Japan to "correct the wrongful move" and remove the Typhon missile system, claiming the deployment increases the risk of military confrontation and poses a substantial threat to regional strategic security.
"The U.S. and Japan need to earnestly respect other countries' security concerns and play a positive role for regional peace and stability, not the other way around," Lin Jian, spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry, commented at a press conference.
Another American anti-ship weapon, the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS), was also featured during the war game. It was deployed on Ishigaki Island, one of Japan's southwestern outlying islands in the East China Sea near Taiwan.
Japanese media reported that the NMESIS was deployed at a Japanese army base on the island on Monday. The system consists of two Naval Strike Missile launchers mounted on a remotely operated vehicle, capable of striking targets 115 miles away.
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The Typhon missile system is a long-range sea-denial and standoff strike platform, while the NMESIS enhances capabilities to protect critical waterways, defend key terrain and project power from ashore, the U.S. III Marine Expeditionary Force said.
What People Are Saying
U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant General Roger Turner, the III Marine Expeditionary Force commanding general, said in a press release on September 4: "By training alongside the [Japanese] Western Army in realistic, combat-focused scenarios, we sharpen the war-fighting edge of our forces and present a clear, credible deterrent to any adversary who would threaten peace and security in the Indo-Pacific."
Lin Jian, spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry, said at a press conference on Tuesday: "In disregard of China's grave concern, the U.S. and Japan went ahead with the deployment of the Typhon medium-range missile system in Japan under the pretext of joint military exercise. China strongly deplores and firmly opposes the move."
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen whether the U.S. military will deploy additional assets to Japan to enhance the alliance's defense posture, including the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon.
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