North Korea warns Japan’s arsenal expansion points to protracted war

Japan’s plans to build about 130 additional ammunition storage facilities indicate that Tokyo is preparing for a protracted war, Tass reports, citing North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

“The creation of additional arsenals means a higher capacity for long-term warfare,” KCNA said in a commentary.

Japan’s Self-Defense Forces currently have about 1,400 ammunition depots, with a further 130 planned by 2032. Construction sites have been identified for 65 of the new facilities, while three had been completed by August.

KCNA also linked the expansion of Japan’s storage network to other defence measures, including increased military spending, the development of long-range weapons and unmanned systems, and the use of artificial intelligence.

Japan says the new warehouses are needed to strengthen the Self-Defense Forces’ ability to sustain combat operations in the event of a prolonged conflict.

By Aghakazim Guliyev