Pick up the pace

What if a missile system could strike its target before it’s even detected? That possibility is now at the center of rising tensions in East Asia.China has strongly reacted to Japan’s latest military development — the deployment of upgraded long-range Type-12 missiles. What was once considered a defensive system is now being described by Chinese military analysts as part of a potential “kill network” — a coordinated strike system capable of targeting threats across vast distances, including deep inside neighboring regions.Japan is preparing to deploy these upgraded missiles in Kumamoto, located on the island of Kyushu. The biggest change is their range. Previously limited to around 200 kilometers, the upgraded Type-12 missiles can now reach distances of nearly 1,000 kilometers.