Japan to deploy Electronic Warfare Unit near Taiwanese marine limits

Tokyo/Taipei: The Japanese leadership has repeatedly said that Japan will fight defence Taiwan if it is attacked in the near future. Japan has also begun preparing vigorously for the eventuality, signalling the deployment of an ‘Electronic Warfare System’ on an island near Taiwan. The Japanese daily has published a report regarding this. A few months ago, the Japanese Defence Minister also had visited an island near Taiwan.

The Okinawa Times from Japan reports on a new deployment on the Yonaguni Island. The island lies close to Taiwan. It is said that the Taiwanese border is visible to the naked eye from this island. The Japanese government has begun increasing the number of defence deployments on the island, including troops and surveillance and electronic warfare systems. The Japanese defence ministry has made a provision of 3 billion yen for deployments on Yonaguni.

As per the provision, a new ‘Electronic Warfare System’ will be set up on Yonaguni Island. At the same time, the number of troops stationed on the island will be increased to 250. It will include a military squad as well as an air force squadron. The decision is said to keep a close eye on China’s movements in the East China Sea, including Taiwan’s maritime area.

Earlier in August, Japan announced plans to deploy missiles on the island of Ishigaki in the East China Sea. Japan had said that the rockets would include anti-aircraft as well as anti-aircraft missiles. The island is about 300 kilometres from the Taiwanese border. Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi made the announcement. It was also reported that Kishi had visited Yonaguni Island.

In the last few months, Japan has begun to take aggressive steps against the expansionist actions of China. Japanese defence ministry issued a white paper with an explicit mention of Taiwanese security. At the same time, ‘secret war games’ were organised with the United States because of the possibility of a Chinese attack on Taiwan.