Japan’s army announced Tuesday that it conducted a missile test for the first time on Japanese territory, as the country accelerates its military buildup to deter increasingly assertive China. The test-firing of the Type 88 surface-to-ship, short-range missile was conducted Tuesday at the Shizunai Anti-Air Firing Range on Japan’s northernmost main island of Hokkaido. About 300 soldiers participated in Tuesday’s exercise by the Ground Self-Defense Force’s 1st Artillery Brigade, using a training missile targeting an unmanned boat about 40 kilometers (24 miles) off the southern coast of Hokkaido, officials said. Officials were still examining the results of the test, the GSDF said. Due to space limitations and safety concerns, Japan has previously conducted missile tests in the territories of the United States, a treaty ally, and Australia, a top Japanese defense partner where vast training grounds are available. Tuesday’s first domestic missile test underscores Japan’s push toward a more self-sufficient military and its acquisition of strike-back capabilities as a deterrence to China’s increasingly assertive naval activity in regional seas.

Full report : Japan conducts first missile test on its own territory as part of military buildup to deter China.