According to Yomiuri, the Defense Ministry has decided to station a GSDF missile regiment on Ishigaki Island, Okinawa, by the end of FY2022 as part of its efforts to beef up the defense of the Nansei Islands against potential Chinese aggression. Some 500 to 600 personnel will be deployed on the island to operate ground-to-ship and ground-to-air missiles, and barracks, an ammunition depot, and a training range will be constructed there.