US to Deploy Missile Units to Japan's Islands

The United States is set to establish temporary missile bases in Japan’s southwestern Nansei island chain and the Philippines, preparing for a potential Taiwan contingency, according to sources familiar with Japan-US relations.

This strategic deployment will form part of the inaugural joint operational plan between the US and Japan, which is set to address contingencies involving Taiwan, a self-governed island that China claims as its own. The joint plan is expected to be finalized in December.

The US Marine Littoral Regiment, equipped with the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), will be stationed along the Nansei island chain, which stretches from Japan's Kagoshima and Okinawa prefectures toward Taiwan.

Temporary bases will be established on inhabited islands, following US military protocols to swiftly deploy small Marine formations when the threat of conflict escalates.

Japan's Self-Defense Forces (SDF) will provide logistical support, including fuel and ammunition, to the Marine units.

Meanwhile, the US Army’s Multi-Domain Task Force (MDTF), designed to operate across multiple domains including land, sea, air, space, and cyber, will be stationed in the Philippines.

This move follows a February 2023 agreement between the US and the Philippines to expand US military access to Philippine bases, increasing the number of available sites from five to nine, which will be crucial during a Taiwan contingency.

Japan and the US have been strengthening defense ties in response to increasing military threats from China and North Korea, as well as growing Russian military collaboration with China.

Additionally, Japan and the Philippines signed a defense agreement in July to foster closer security cooperation and conduct joint military exercises.