Professor Anna Rosario Malindog-Uy, a Philippine geopolitical expert, highlights a troubling shift in Japan's defense posture, saying that Japan's missile deployment isn't truly defensive and marks a shift from pure defense to "proactive deterrence" –  including strikes beyond its territory. Seen regionally as a containment strategy, it risks accelerating an arms race. "Regionally speaking, this is very offensive," and she warns the shift poses a deepening security dilemma for the region.