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By Ryan Chan
China News Reporter
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The United States is continuing to boost its military presence near China, with a new anti-ship missile system being the latest weapon to be deployed on a Japanese outlying island on the front lines of the Western Pacific.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Why It Matters
Under America's maritime containment strategy, Japan forms part of the first island chain—a north-south defensive line—along with Taiwan and the Philippines, aimed at projecting military power to deter and defend against potential Chinese aggression.
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The U.S. deployment of a Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System, or NMESIS, on Okinawa Island in Japan's southwestern waters comes as China continues to expand its military presence around the island chain with its rapidly growing navy.
Serving as Washington's key security ally, Japan, which hosts over 50,000 U.S. military personnel, is also set to deploy the U.S. Typhon land-based missile system—capable of anti-air, anti-surface and land-attack missions—for a bilateral drill later this month.
What To Know
The 3rd Marine Division, based in Okinawa and tasked with operating along the first island chain, revealed on Wednesday that it has been training with the NMESIS across Okinawa Island since the missile system's arrival on July 10.
This marks the first time the NMESIS, which the 3rd Marine Division officially received last November, has deployed to Japan, serving as a major milestone for the "continuously strengthening" Washington-Tokyo alliance, according to a photo caption.
The NMESIS offers "a mobile, long-range and precise anti-ship capability," according to the 3rd Marine Division, strengthening the ability to protect critical waterways and project power from ashore, while providing a rapidly deployable island defense solution.
One of the critical waterways along the first island chain is the Miyako Strait, located off the coast of Okinawa. The strait serves as a key gateway for Chinese naval deployments into the Philippine Sea on the eastern side of the first island chain.
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The NMESIS also provides an opportunity to rehearse operations to secure and defend key maritime terrain, including refining critical operational practices such as launcher survivability and executing notional fire missions, the Marine division said.
Prior to its deployment in Japan, the NMESIS participated in two exercises held in the Philippines, which has territorial and maritime disputes with China over the South China Sea. Manila later said the NMESIS remained in the country for training.
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What People Are Saying
The U.S. 3rd Marine Division said in a press release on Wednesday: "The [NMESIS] provides critical capabilities for rapid deployment and improved interoperability with allies and partners. 3rd Marine Division routinely moves assets to maintain a high degree of operational readiness and ensure regional deterrence, contributing to our overall mission of maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific."
Captain Kurt James, the commander of the 12th Medium-Range Missile Battery under the 3rd Marine Division, said in a press release on Wednesday: "These training opportunities with the NMESIS validated the effectiveness of our collaborative defensive architecture…. We refined our ability to coordinate responses to potential threats, reinforcing our commitment to regional security."
What Happens Next
It remains unclear whether the NMESIS will conduct any live-fire exercises or remain deployed on Okinawa Island beyond the current training period.
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