Japan to Deploy Surface-to-Air Missiles on Yonaguni Island by 2030

Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi stated on February 24 that surface-to-air missiles capable of intercepting aircraft and ballistic missiles will be deployed to Yonaguni Island by fiscal 2030

INDO-PACIFIC — Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi stated on February 24 that surface-to-air missiles capable of intercepting aircraft and ballistic missiles will be deployed to Yonaguni Island by fiscal 2030.

Type 03 medium-range surface-to-air guided missile anti-aircraft medium SAM. credit: Rikujojieitai Boueisho（陸上自衛隊 / Japan Ground Self-Defense Force), CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia

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Yonaguni, Japan’s westernmost inhabited island in the Ryukyu chain and part of Okinawa Prefecture, lies approximately 68 miles (110 km) east of Taiwan. The announcement provides the clearest timetable to date for base enhancements first publicly outlined in 2022.

The deployment timing depends on facility preparation progress. According to defense planning documents, an electronic warfare unit is already scheduled for fiscal 2026.

This development occurs against the backdrop of heightened tensions over Taiwan, with Japan reinforcing southwestern island defenses as part of national security strategy updates.

Deployment Plans and Timeline