Kyodo News:

Japan is considering almost tripling the number of units in its Self-Defense Forces equipped with ballistic missile interception capabilities in the country’s remote southwestern islands by the end of fiscal 2031, a draft of the plan has shown.

The plan is expected to be included in the government’s National Defense Program Guidelines, a 10-year defense buildup policy to be updated by the end of the year, as the nation focuses on boosting its defense capabilities in southwest Japan, a strategically important area in light of the Chinese military’s muscle-flexing in the East China Sea.

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