US doubles down on military presence near China with new missile systems

As the West is still closely examining the showpieces seen in China’s recent display of military power during a grand military parade in Beijing, the United States is reinforcing its military posture around the Asian powerhouse in a fight for dominance.

The latest move includes deploying an advanced anti-ship missile system to a Japanese outlying island on the front lines of the Western Pacific, according to Newsweek.

The US Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) has been stationed on the island of Okinawa, a key strategic location in Japan’s southwest, amid China’s rapid naval expansion and growing military presence in the surrounding waters.

Japan, which is Washington’s principal security partner in the region and host to over 50,000 US troops, is also preparing to deploy the US-made Typhon land-based missile system later this month for a bilateral drill. Typhon is capable of executing anti-air, anti-surface, and land-attack missions—a move that has provoked sharp criticism from both Beijing and Moscow.

The 3rd Marine Division, headquartered in Okinawa and responsible for operations along the first island chain—which includes Taiwan and the Philippines—announced this week that it has been conducting training with the NMESIS across Okinawa since the system’s arrival on July 10.

This is the first deployment of NMESIS to Japan since the 3rd Marine Division received it in November, marking a significant milestone in what officials describe as a “continuously strengthening” US-Japan alliance.

Designed to deliver a mobile, long-range, and precision anti-ship capability, NMESIS enhances the ability to safeguard critical maritime routes and project power from land, offering a highly flexible island defence solution, according to a statement by the US Navy.

One such vital passage is the Miyako Strait, near Okinawa, which serves as a key corridor for Chinese naval forces entering the Philippine Sea on the eastern flank of the first island chain.

By Nazrin Sadigova