Asahi highlighted a set of recommendations submitted to Prime Minister Abe on Thursday by an LDP panel on the SDF’s possible acquisition of capabilities to strike enemy bases, noting that although the ruling party and the Abe administration are keen to introduce advanced missile defense systems and other state-of-the-art equipment to counter North Korea’s relentless pursuit of missile and nuclear expertise, several issues must be addressed first. The paper underscored that the GOJ needs to confirm the constitutionality of possessing strike capabilities since the nation has upheld the SDF’s “exclusively defense-oriented” posture for decades. The paper also cited high procurement costs and the effectiveness of THAAD, as well as potential concerns by neighbors, as additional impediments to procuring equipment for destroying enemy missile bases.