Shockwave Through Asia: US Plans Missile Deployment Near Okinawa for Taiwan Crisis

Kyodo News reported on Sunday that the U.S. military has developed plans to deploy missile units to the Nansei Islands near Okinawa and the Philippines in the event of a Taiwan crisis, citing U.S. and Japanese sources.

The report indicates that the U.S. military and Japan’s Self-Defense Forces have incorporated this missile deployment strategy into their first joint operational plan, scheduled for December.

This move appears to be a core defense initiative by the U.S. and Japan to counter China’s potential use of force to unify with Taiwan. The plan aims to prevent a scenario where Chinese aggression towards Taiwan could escalate into a broader conflict, potentially endangering civilians in Taiwan, Okinawa, and the Philippines.

Sources from both nations reveal that the U.S. Marine Corps’ Marine Littoral Regiment (MLR), equipped with advanced systems like the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), will be stationed in the Nansei Islands.

In the early stages of a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, the MLR would establish temporary footholds on nearby islands. Japan’s Self-Defense Forces are expected to provide crucial logistical support, such as ammunition and fuel.

The U.S. Army reportedly plans to station missile units under its Multi-Domain Task Force (MDTF) in the Philippines. These units would be capable of carrying out a wide range of missions.