TOKYO - Japan's Ministry of Defense on Monday began transporting a missile launcher and other equipment to Minamitorishima, the country's easternmost island in the Pacific, ahead of plans to build a missile firing range and conduct live-fire exercises there, local media reported.

According to public broadcaster NHK, the ministry began shipping a Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) Type 12 surface-to-ship missile launcher, along with medium-sized unmanned reconnaissance aircraft for target surveillance and positioning, by ferry from a port in Chiba prefecture, near Tokyo, to the island on Monday morning.

Local media reported that this will mark Japan's first deployment of GSDF surface-to-ship missiles to Minamitorishima, which belongs to Tokyo's Ogasawara Islands.

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The move has drawn wide concern and criticism, with observers warning it could heighten regional tensions.

According to earlier local media reports, Japan plans to build a firing range on the island for weapons, including the Type 12 surface-to-ship missile, with live-fire training exercises slated to begin in 2027.