US to station anti-ship missile system on Japan’s Yonaguni Island
The United States will deploy its ground-based NMESIS anti-ship system to Yonaguni, Japan’s westernmost island, during October military exercises. The move places the system closer to Taiwan than in last year’s drills and comes amid strained relations between Beijing and Tokyo and increased military activity around the region.
The United States will deploy its Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System, or NMESIS, to Japan’s Yonaguni Island during joint military exercises this month, according to Japan’s regional defence bureau. The deployment during the Keen Sword exercise will be the first of the system on Yonaguni, Japan’s westernmost island. The island is about 110km from Taiwan’s eastern coast and lies closer to Taiwan than the Okinawan island where US forces stationed NMESIS during exercises last year.
The Keen Sword exercise will run from October 19 to 29. NMESIS will also return to Ishigaki Island, where it was deployed during the previous Resolute Dragon drills. The Okinawa Defence Bureau said the system would support training at the Yonaguni garrison.
Japanese and US forces will establish a joint coordination centre, conduct tabletop exercises on island defence and practise coordinating equipment deployed at other garrisons. The bureau said the precise details of the training could change. NMESIS is a mobile, ground-based system used by the US Marine Corps to support sea denial and coastal defence.
It can target warships from island or coastal positions and has a stated range of more than 185km. US forces have also used it during joint exercises with the Philippines in the Batanes Islands, north of the Philippines. The planned deployment comes as China-Japan relations remain strained over Taiwan and regional military activity.
Beijing regards Taiwan as part of China and has not ruled out using force to achieve reunification. Washington and Tokyo oppose any forced change to Taiwan’s status and the United States continues to supply weapons to the self-governed island. The exercise will also mark the first deployment of the Marine Air Defence Integrated System, or MADIS, to Yonaguni.
MADIS is designed to counter drones, helicopters and low-flying aircraft. China’s Foreign Ministry has previously criticised Japan’s deployment of missile and other military capabilities near China, describing the moves as a threat to regional stability.
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