TOKYO -- Japan plans to deploy its domestically developed long-range missiles a year earlier than planned, the Defense Ministry announced Friday, as the country steps up efforts to strengthen its strike-back capability in response to rising challenges in the region. Under the new schedule, a first batch of the domestically developed Type-12 anti-ship missiles will be installed at its army's Camp Kengun in Japan's southwestern prefecture of Kmuamoto by March 2026, the ministry said. The Type-12 missile has a range of about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles). Japan is seeking to create a more self-sufficient military as a deterrence against China’s increasingly assertive naval activity in regional seas. Japan in June spotted two Chinese aircraft carriers almost simultaneously operating near southe

See Full Page