GSDF to Conduct 1st Surface-to-Ship Missile Drill in Japan

Tokyo, April 10 (Jiji Press)--Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force said Thursday that it will conduct its first domestic training exercise for launching surface-to-ship missiles.

The GSDF is in the final stage of negotiations with local and other authorities to carry out the drill in June, aiming to strengthen deterrence amid China's maritime expansion.

In the drill, the GSDF's Northern Army, based in the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido, will fire practice missiles carrying no gunpowder at targets at sea, GSDF officials said.

The GSDF has so far conducted surface-to-ship missile training in the United States and Australia as Japan has no domestic training area where missiles whose range exceeds 100 kilometers can be shot.

Separately, the GSDF is considering establishing a firing range on Tokyo's Minamitorishima, a remote island in the Pacific, for surface-to-ship missile training, hoping to increase opportunities for domestic training and maintain its proficiency. It aims to hold the first drill there in 2026.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]