Originally appeared at ZeroHedge
The US Military will conduct its first-ever missile drill on the Japanese Island of Okinawa, located in the East China Sea, as Washington attempts to counter an increasingly aggressive China. Japan Times reported on Thursday that the US military had notified Japan’s government that it would deploy anti-ship missile systems around the strategically important island this year, the original story was released by Sankei Shimbun.
The war exercise would fortify the island with possible truck-mounted anti-ship cruise missile systems seen as a countermeasure to potential attacks from Chinese surface-to-sea ballistic rockets, the paper said.
China has repeatedly railed against US military expansion in Asia and the Pacific, describing the presence as a source of regional instability. In the last several years, Chinese warships have navigated near Okinawa, where roughly half of the 54,000 American troops are stationed, in an attempt to curb US military dominance in the East China Sea.
To counter the treat, Japan, has, in turn, postured its military along the Japanese archipelago, a group of 6,852 islands that extends over 1,850 miles from the Sea of Okhotsk northeast to the Philippine Sea south along the northeastern coast of the Eurasia continent.
Some military strategists believe Beijing seeks to end US military dominance in the western Pacific by exerting control of the second island chain that links Japan’s southern Ogasawara islands, the US territory of Guam, and Indonesia, said The Japan Times.
China’s rapid military build-up in the South China Sea has frightened its Asian neighbors, with Japan’s defense chief last year indicating China had been “unilaterally escalating” its military war drills in the previous year.
Okinawa’s strategic location between the Philippine, East China and South China Seas makes it a critical military outpost to preserve freedom of navigation of US warships and defend American security interests in the region. Okinawa’s proximity to China, Taiwan, the Korean Peninsula, and Japan supports rapid deployment of US marines to anywhere in the Eastern Hemisphere.
America’s presence on the island is also a critical component of its strategy to preserve peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Washington remains massively invested in Okinawa as a means of policing Asia and supporting Japan in its national defense, an obligation that started when the US signed the Security Treaty with Japan in 1960.
While America has hundreds of military bases around the world, the Okinawa base with future missile drills this year could be an indication that conflict with China is nearing in the East China Sea.
Poor Japan, they dont know that they are just another expendable piece in the US political mess with a president in charge that is more inconsistent and confused than anything else.
Oh they know, but they are a subservient people, look at how they just accepted Fukushima. Okinawa is not Japan, it’s a colony. The people who live there are not Japanese and the Japanese don’t care if America kills them.
May be they care but who’s asking them? Japanese has no say in Japan. Occupying force (US) is the actual power there.
did the okinawans have a say when the most dumb states of a wanted to construct a new base (on okinawa) and even the mayor sided with the people but did abe listen – no and the new base will be built and the rapes by american service men of okinawan women will continue and the dumb as f..uck americans will continue to overstay its welcome and abe will continue to be subservient and kow towing to the dumb as f..ucks americans. what is wrong with that? ask the washington tw..ats and answer is – nothing much!
Yes, but the winds have changed directions and many governments now have started to adjust their policies. They do not want to stay on the sinking ship.
Lets hope that change is more substance than sound then.
It is a fact. I am not a “professional” analyst or paid “reporter” but the panic modus operandi of the usa and israhell confirms it. I hear “sound and fury” every day.
The Japanese have always been somewhat backward in their strategy I think Tudor. Cruelty for the sake of cruelty in any war only begets hatred that lasts for many generations.
To be hated by the Chinese people today for the Japanese butchery of ‘yesterday ‘ is not a good position to be in.
There were hundreds of millions of Chinese. It was like in the jungle. You need a machete to cut yourself through the bushes who are in the way. Call it what you want, the Samurai call it practical circumstances.
I suppose that’s what the US mindset was when the nuclear bombs were deliberately dropped on Japanese civilians Tommy.
С Рождеством Нристовом!
С Рождеством!
pres Xi is right in preparing for war against the most moronic states of a. no way is this continuous provocations by the mmsofa not a preparations for war and with a national debt close to 22trillion bucks it’s the only way out, attacked from all sides by a number of serious parties that would like nothing more than finish off the deep state. fortunately the most moronic state can rely on israel when things get really hairy.
I think you might find that China plans to destroy the US economically, war is their plan B, if plan A fails. China won’t attack, because it’s cheaper to wipe out the US economically. The US plan was for Clinton to isolate Russia, take over Russia, and use Russia to contain China. Trump getting elected has ruined their plans, so they might start a shooting war with China, because the US collapse is very close.
The US has for decades controlled much of the world economy and hegemony.
The US is going the same way of all Empires and is rotting from within.
Long may the rot fester .
+ overextending + going bankrupt. More arrogant, corrupt and vicious, all whilst the people become poorer, more ignorant and violent.
However I disagree that the US is going the way of all empires, they have a few commonalities with history, but many that are totally new.
Empires are essentially all about the greed of those in power and those who aspire to being in power for the sole benefit of those who get the power.
It this way I find it easier to understand the circus that we now see in the US,UK and EU.
The rank and file of the population are still drivers, farmers,factory workers, call centre workers etc etc. Just as they would be , whomsoever is in power.
Don’t get me wrong, I agree with your 1st paragraph, but the US do everything, always thinking about the short term gain, whereas the Roman and British Empires were for long term gain and included stability (in general), infrastructure, wealth creation, democracy (British) and cultivation.
Regards the rest, we’ll get to that another day.
PS As a side issue, Japan and China are doing local currency swaps and discussing more and more business together….. maybe this is just a show of force to try and threaten Japan and China – in my view, it will not work.
US collapse has been predicted for 300 years by people who envy American winner values.
The murder, rape and pillage of China by the Japanese in the 1930’s and 40’s are numbered in the millions.
https://www.hawaii.edu/powerkills/SOD.CHAP3.HTM
http://www.historyplace.com/worldhistory/genocide/nanking.htm
There are many reasons for Japan to keep rather quiet and kick the Yanks out of Japan.
Does anybody know what these missiles are called. I didn’t know the US had any mobile land based anti ship missiles?
It looks like a surface to air missile, US does not have any mobile antiship missiles. They claim the Standard 6 SAM to,have antiship capabilities.
This what a yandex search identified. Its a Japanese Air Defense missile.
http://soha.vn/ten-lua-phong-khong-chu-sam.html
Ha ha ha. It has been a long while since they did “sh*t stirring”, pardon me, I meant military drills on the Korean peninsula. Do they dare now? Ha ha ha. Well, Japan is their last resort in that part of the world.
No way will Japan get any of those Kiril islands now especially with this drill taking place.
” to preserve freedom of navigation of US warships and defend American security interests in the region.”(с) defend American security? Fashington is 12330km from Okinawa.
“supporting Japan in its national defense, an obligation that started when the US signed the Security Treaty with Japan in 1960.” Japan is still under US military occupation and all that BS they say can’t change this simple fact.
“…and listen to their rock and roll while we con-duct MISSILE DRILLSSSSS.”
We need to upgrade Okinawa to 100 000 US Special Combat Forces to controle the prevailing threats. Japan must pay the bill for the necessary protection against China´s aggressive and hostile actions.