ANKARA

Japan is going to deploy long-range anti-ship missiles in its southwestern Kumamoto province as a deterrent to China's "military maneuvers," state media reported on Thursday.

The anti-ship missiles, which can reach China's coastline and almost all of North Korea, will be part of the country's counterstrike capabilities, and they will be deployed to a Ground Self-Defense Force camp in Kumamoto province, the state broadcaster NHK reported.

They will be deployed at Camp Kengun in Kumamoto toward the end of the current fiscal year in March.

The move is viewed as a deterrent to China, whose military, according to Tokyo, is stepping up maneuvers around Japan's Nansei Islands.

The Defense Ministry plans to extend the range of GSDF's Type-12 surface-to-ship missile to 1,000 kilometers (621,371 miles) so they can be used for counterattacks on "enemy bases."

Japan maintains seven surface-to-ship missile regiments, including those in Kumamoto City and the prefectures of Oita and Okinawa.

The ministry is mulling gradually deploying the upgraded Type-12 missiles to each regiment.

* Writing by Aamir Latif.