TOKYO — Japan deployed its first upgraded Type-12 land-to-ship missiles at Camp Kengun in Kumamoto prefecture this week, marking a shift in the nation's defense posture.

The missiles, developed and produced by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, have a range of about 1,000 kilometers, compared to 200 kilometers for the original Type-12 missile. The deployment gives Japan a standoff capability, meaning it can strike enemy missile bases from afar.

"It demonstrates Japan's firm determination and capability to defend itself," said Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi. The deployment marks a break from the self-defense-only policy under Japan's pacifist constitution.

A range of about 1,000 kilometers allows the upgraded Type-12 missile to reach mainland China. Japan considers China its main regional security threat and has fortified its southwestern islands near the East China Sea in recent years.

Residents opposing the deployment near the residential area staged protests outside the Kengun camp. Residents opposing the deployment at Camp Kengun said it would escalate tension and increase the risk that the area could be targeted by potential enemies.

Additional deployments of the upgraded Type-12 missiles and hypersonic glide vehicles at other locations in Japan, including Hokkaido and Miyazaki, are planned by March 2028.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's Cabinet approved in December a defense budget plan exceeding 9 trillion yen ($58 billion) for the fiscal year beginning April. The defense budget plan aims to fortify Japan's strike-back capability and coastal defense with cruise missiles and unmanned arsenals.

In June last year, Japan spotted two Chinese aircraft carriers operating almost simultaneously near Japanese remote islands in the Pacific for the first time. The spotting of the Chinese aircraft carriers raised concern in Tokyo about Beijing's military activity extending far beyond its borders.

Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi announced the establishment of a new office dedicated to studying China's Pacific activity last week. In November, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stated that any Chinese military action against Taiwan could be grounds for a Japanese military response.