Japan has announced plans to create a marine force to carry out preemptive self defense strikes on enemy missile sites.
According to the Japan Times, the Japanese Defense Ministry has said that it will develop an amphibious force to protect the country's 6,000 remote islands.
Tokyo's move comes in the wake of China threatening to claim the Japan-controlled Senkaku Islands on East China Sea.
Japan's Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera said that if Tokyo faces threats, it must be allowed to have defense capabilities to counter it.
The defense ministry is also reportedly considering plans to bolster the existing special Ground Self-Defense Force.
The government will also discuss the need for purchasing unmanned surveillance aircraft to address its growing East Asia security concerns as well as to strengthen cooperation with the United States and the private sector to counter cyber attacks.