U.S. Space Force Guardians are deploying to Japan on Dec. 4 in a move meant to bolster the Japanese self-defense forces against threats from Russia, China and North Korea. The United States activated its first Space Force Unit in Japan at Yokota Air Base, just west of Tokyo, on Wednesday, Dec. 4.
The unit will reportedly give Japan its first-ever space surveillance and missile warning systems.
The Pentagon said the ultimate goal is to strengthen both country’s national security and provide stepped-up regional security at a time when relations with Moscow, Pyongyang and Beijing are tense.
The White House confirmed in February that Russia is working on an anti-satellite weapon, and the U.S. Space Force said in October that China is rapidly making gains on space-based military systems as well.
Additionally, North Korea claimed to have successfully launched its first spy satellite last year, and Pyongyang is promising more will go into orbit by the end of this year in a bid to make the country a so-called “space power.”
Despite U.S. adversaries vying for space superiority, the U.S. Department of Defense maintains it is confident the new unit will deter attacks from enemies in the Indo-Pacific region.
The U.S. and Japan are also coordinating space defense with Australia, including reportedly developing low-orbit satellites to help counter hypersonic missiles, which Russia, China and North Korea all claim to have obtained.