US looks to deter China by sprinkling missile-armed marines across Japanese islands

Japan hosts 18,000 US marines, mostly on Okinawa Island. A reorganisation could see them dispersed throughout island chain bounding the East China Sea

The marines reportedly plan to cut aircraft numbers and dump heavy artillery and armour in favour of missiles and drones to operate in contested areas

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US Marines take part in joint exercises with members of Japan’s Ground Self-Defence Force in December 2021. Photo: Kyodo

Published: 1:03pm, 10 Jan 2023Updated: 5:48pm, 10 Jan 2023

The United States wants to disperse its marines throughout Japan’s Okinawa islands by 2026, arming them with missiles and lighter gear to deter China’s military, according to reports.

The US has already told Japan about the reorganisation, which it will announce after a two-plus-two meeting in Washington on Wednesday between Japan’s ministers of defence and foreign affairs and their US counterparts, the Yomiuri newspaper reported.

Officials at Japan’s defence ministry were unavailable for comment. A foreign ministry official declined to comment on the report, but said Japan and the US “will discuss matters regarding issues on the US Forces Japan, including the realignment of the US Forces Japan”.

The creation of the new units, called Marine Littoral Regiments, is part of a major reorganisation of the US Marine Corps outlined by its commandant, General David Berger, in 2020 in his Force Design 2030 paper.

Japanese soldiers and US marines take part in a joint amphibious exercise in Japan in March last year. Photo: Kyodo

At the time Berger said he wanted those units to work closely with Japan’s Self-Defence Forces to prevent easy access to the Pacific for China’s military.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a regular briefing on Tuesday that bilateral military cooperation between the US and Japan “should not harm the interests of third parties and regional peace and stability.”