Authored by Dave DeCamp via AntiWar.com,

The US military will set up temporary bases to deploy missile units along Japan’s southern islands in the event of a Taiwan contingency, Japan’s Kyodo News reported on Sunday.

The report said that under the first part of a joint US-Japan operation plan, a new Marine Corps unit designed for island hopping in the Western Pacific, known as the Marine Littoral Regiment, will be deployed with HIMARS rocket systems along the Ryukyu Islands.

The Ryukyu Islands, known as the Nansei Islands in Japan, include Okinawa and stretch south toward Taiwan. Japan’s military will support the US Marine deployment along the island chain by providing logistical support, including the supply of fuel and ammunition.

The Kyodo report also said the US would “deploy the Multi-Domain Task Force’s long-range fire units in the Philippines.”

Earlier this year, the US deployed a new intermediate-range land-based missile system to the Philippines, known as the Typhon, which is capable of firing nuclear-capable Tomahawk missiles.

The report said the four new bases the US is establishing in the Philippines as part of a military deal signed last year are expected to be used to respond to a Chinese attack on Taiwan.

Map showing the location of the Ryukyu Islands:

The US is openly planning for a future war with China over Taiwan despite the obvious risk of nuclear war, and strengthening military ties with the Philippines and Japan is key to those plans.