Sailors stand on the deck of the Izumo warship as it departs from the harbor of the Japan United Marine shipyard in Yokohama, south of Tokyo. March 25, 2015. REUTERS/Thomas Peter
Kyle Mizokami, National Interest: This Is How Japan Might Respond to a North Korean Missile Attack
This week’s overflight of Japan by a North Korean missile was a major escalation of Pyongyang’s missile strategy. Although not unprecedented, the overflight of the northern island of Hokkaido was a clear sign that North Korea did not expect Tokyo to actually do anything in response. If Japan wanted to mount a more muscular response, what options would it have?
Japan is an avowedly pacifist country, with a military—actually a Self Defense Force—that is generally incapable of taking action against North Korea. The Self Defense Forces have little to no offensive weapons and rarely if ever train in offensive operations. Still, the country does have options, from actually utilizing its robust ballistic missile defenses to developing an offensive strike capability.
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Previous Post: Would Japan Launch A Preemptive Strike Against North Korea
WNU Editor: I expect today's claim by North Korea that they have developed a hydrogen bomb that can be placed on an ICBM will (if North Korea's claim is true) radically change the entire Japanese military posture against North Korea. What the change will entail is still unknown .... but everyone should get ready for a new arms race to grip this part of the world.
