A missile facility that’s strong, quiet, and clear
The U.S. and Japan build a joint missile plant without naming the target.
The story
The U.S. and Japan agree to build a missile facility in Japan as part of 'Operation Supercharge,' aimed at countering China's naval activity. Japanese and U.S. officials emphasize a 'strong, quiet, clear' message without directly naming China.
Source: fortune.com
Our reading
The U.S. and Japan are building a missile facility in Japan, which is supposed to be a ‘strong, quiet, clear’ message. That’s a lot of adjectives for a place where they’re just going to put more missiles. The goal is to counter China, but no one is actually saying the word.
It’s like a dinner party where everyone agrees something is wrong, but no one wants to bring up the host. The facility is for AMRAAMs, which are advanced air-to-air missiles. The Japanese defense minister says they’re essential for F-35s, which are also used by Japan. So it’s like a joint effort to make sure the F-35s have enough bullets, but not too many people know why.
The message is strong, quiet, and clear. Which, in this case, means it’s loud enough to be heard, but not loud enough to be understood. no one is saying the word ‘China’—but the missiles are definitely pointing in its general direction.
