Will Japan Pursue a Strike Capability in Lieu of Aegis Ashore?

Associate Fellow, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Dr. Titli Basu’s article 'Will Japan Pursue Strike Capability in Lieu of Aegis Ashore?' was published in ‘The Diplomat’ on July 28, 2020.

Is it time to rewire Japan's National Security Strategy with strike capability? Following the monumental decision to cancel the deployment of Aegis Ashore ballistic missile defense system, the central debate consuming the Japanese security thinking is straddling between missile defence and strike capability, or what is called “enemy-base strike”. Going forward, there are challenges in terms of seeking not just Japanese public understanding on strike capability within the scope of exclusively defence oriented posture and Article 9 of the pacifist constitution, but also manage regional concerns over “normalisation” of Japan. Any possible policy shift in Tokyo will raise fundamental questions on the spear and shield nature of the alliance. Furthermore, it will have implications for America’s Indo-Pacific strategy.

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