Analysis | Caught in the middle of US-China rivalry, Asian countries are stockpiling powerful new missiles
- Japan has spent millions on long-range, air-launched weapons and is developing a new version of a truck-mounted anti-ship missile
- South Korea has the most robust domestic ballistic missile programme, enhanced by a recent agreement with Washington to drop bilateral limits
Asia may be sliding into a dangerous arms race as smaller nations that once stayed on the sidelines build arsenals of advanced long-range missiles, following in the footsteps of powerhouses China and the United States.
China is mass producing its DF-26 – a multipurpose weapon with a range of up to 4,000km – while the US is developing new weapons aimed at countering Beijing in the Pacific. Other countries in the region are buying or developing their own new missiles, driven by security concerns over China and a desire to reduce their reliance on the US.
Before the decade is over, Asia will be bristling with conventional missiles that fly further and faster, hit harder and are more sophisticated than ever – a stark and dangerous change from recent years, analysts, diplomats and military officials said.
“The missile landscape is changing in Asia, and it’s changing fast,” said David Santoro, president of the Pacific Forum.
Such weapons are increasingly affordable and accurate, and as some countries acquire them, their neighbours don’t want to be left behind, analysts said. Missiles provide strategic benefits such as deterring enemies and boosting leverage with allies, and can be a lucrative export.
The long-term implications are uncertain, and there is a slim chance the new weapons could balance tensions and help maintain peace, Santoro said.