The United States will no longer pursue a plan to deploy the U.S. Army’s Strategic Mid-Range Fires (SMRF) System in Japan.
The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command had proposed under its Pacific Deterrence Initiative to deploy these intermediate-range missiles to the first island chain as a conventional deterrent to China.
Japan’s recent decision to acquire long-range attack missiles as part of its counterattack capability was one of the reasons given to halt the deployment. The Yomiuri also added that Washington was influenced by the view that “it would be difficult to gain public understanding in Japan, such as around bases” for having such missiles in Japan. Japan’s counterattack capability will instead be complemented by the missile capabilities of the U.S. Navy.
However, the proposal might be revived if there is a change in the military balance due to China’s military expansion.
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