Japan flexes its military muscle at China, and Trump

Japan is transforming its long-restricted military into a potent force to operate alongside America’s ships and soldiers. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

OKINAWA: The ship-slaying missiles of the Japanese army’s 7th Regiment are mounted aboard dark green trucks that are easy to move and conceal, but for now, the soldiers are making no effort to hide them.

Created in 2024, the fledgling regiment and its roving missile batteries occupy a hilltop base on the island of Okinawa that can be seen for miles.