US Japan

US forces will reportedly deploy large reconnaissance drones in the southern Japanese prefecture of Okinawa for an indefinite period to enhance surveillance and information gathering,MK sports Korea the Japanese Defense Ministry said Tuesday, Japanese media outlet Kyodo News reported. A Chinese analyst warned that the US deployment of drones and more weapons in Japan is part of constructing a military encirclement of China, which could destabilize the region.

MQ-4C Triton aircraft are expected to begin operating out of Kadena Air Base "within a few weeks," Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani told a press conference in Tokyo, Kyodo News reported. The Triton is a long-endurance unmanned aircraft with a wingspan of around 40 meters designed to fly at higher altitudes and cover wider areas than the smaller MQ-9 Reaper drones that have been stationed at the same air base since 2023.

However, after being informed of the deployment by the Defense Ministry, the Okinawa prefectural government expressed opposition to the plan as it could increase the base-hosting burden on local communities, Kyodo News reported.

This drone has three major characteristics: first, it has an ultra-long flight time, allowing multiple units to relay and achieve seamless monitoring of China's coastal areas; second, it possesses both reconnaissance and attack capabilities, enabling strategic close reconnaissance of the Taiwan Straits, East China Sea and South China Sea, as well as the ability to conduct long-range strikes against naval vessels; third, the sharing of intelligence between the US and Japan could create military synergy, with Japan seizing the opportunity to accelerate its militarization efforts, Song Zhongping, a military affairs expert, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

The US-Japan military alliance is, in essence, a military expansion strategy targeting China as its hypothetical adversary. Song warned of the move further destabilizing the region, and China needs to remain highly vigilant against this perilous trend, Song noted.

According to The Japan Times, the Japanese defense chief hinted that the deployment would provide a needed boost amid the uptick in Chinese military activity near the southwestern islands, noting that "the security environment surrounding our country is becoming increasingly severe."

On Wednesday, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte called on members of the alliance and its four Indo-Pacific partners to work more closely to outproduce Russia militarily and "outpace" technological rivals such as China to counter what he views as "existential" threats during his trip to Japan, according to the Japan Times.

Rutte's remarks reflect two underlying intentions: for the US, deploying drones and more weapons in Japan is part of constructing a military encirclement of China; for Japan, it is an opportunity to advance "military normalization" under the guise of the "China threat," Song said.