Japan missile move could fray fragile China ties

Nansei chain of islands

Japan's National Defense Program Guidelines, worked out in 2013, stipulate that Japan will assign SSM units to defend remote islands. Japan has already decided to deploy an SSM unit to Miyakojima island, located south of the Miyako Strait.

The Medium Term Defense Program, for fiscal year 2014 to 2018 that starts on April 1, was worked out along with the guidelines. It also includes policies to strengthen units deployed to the Nansei chain of islands, located between the main Kyushu island and China's Taiwan.

Based on the program, the government has decided to deploy the Ground Self-Defense Force's Type 12 SSM units to Miyakojima and Ishigakijima island in Okinawa prefecture and Amami-Oshima island in Kagoshima prefecture from fiscal year 2018.

It has also decided to deploy guard units and surface-to-air missile batteries on the three islands.