Japan Deploys "Counter-Base Attack" Missiles for the First Time!

On March 31, Japanese Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced the deployment of the "Type 25 Ground-to-Ship Missile" and the "Type 25 High-Speed Glide Bomb" in Kumamoto and Shizuoka Prefectures—marking Japan's first installation of long-range missiles capable of "counter-base attack." The former has a range of approximately 1,000 kilometers, far exceeding Japan’s national territory; the latter has a range of several hundred kilometers, with Japan currently developing an upgraded version with a 2,000-kilometer range. This move has been viewed by Japanese media as a major turning point in Japan's "exclusive defense" policy. On the same day, residents of Kumamoto protested, expressing concern that their region could become a target.

Just back from the United States, Japan is now deploying long-range missiles—not merely an incremental upgrade in defense, but a complete reversal of postwar security policy. From lifting restrictions on collective self-defense in 2014, to incorporating "counter-base attack" into the three security documents in 2022, and now actual battlefield deployment, Japan has systematically dismantled the façade of "exclusive defense." With a 1,000-kilometer range covering the core of East Asia, Japan is rebranding "retaliation" as "preemptive strike"—in essence, breaking through Article 9 of the Peace Constitution and retracing its old path of military expansion.

The Asia-Pacific is not Japan’s "backyard," and historical lessons must never be forgotten. During World War II, Japan launched aggression under the pretext of "preemption"; today, it repeats the same rhetoric, only to escalate regional arms races and heighten the risk of conflict. U.S. tolerance combined with Japan’s recklessness will only plunge Northeast Asia into a "security dilemma." If Japan fails to return to the path of peace, it will ultimately reap what it sows—and remain forever watched with vigilance by the peoples of Asia.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1861151643758600/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) alone.