Japan to Deploy Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missiles on Yonaguni Island by 2031

Japan plans to deploy Type-03 Chu-SAM medium-range surface-to-air missiles on Yonaguni Island by March 2031, marking a concrete timeline for the 2022 announcement. Yonaguni, located 110 km from Taiwan, has been developed into a strategic military outpost with coastal surveillance and Self-Defense Forces presence. This move follows Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's 2025 remarks on potential Self-Defense Forces activation amid tensions with China, which Beijing condemned as interference in its internal affairs.