The US Navy will modify power facilities on a pier at Japan's Sasebo naval base to allow its Zumwalt-class stealth destroyers to berth there, according to reports.

The plan for the deployment of the state-of-the-art US stealth warships to the Japanese naval base in the Nagasaki Prefecture comes at a time of heightened tensions between Japan and its neighbors, China and North Korea. 

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"With China looming and North Korea lurking nearby, Tokyo has plenty of reason to welcome American reinforcements," says Peter Berger, founder of Boston University's Institute on Culture, Religion and World Affairs, in a report. "So we may see more renovations of Japanese ports over the next few years to permit the US Navy to dock in them."

'Video Game' Warship

The US Navy's 600-foot Zumwalt-class stealth destroyers were first launched in 2013, and are reportedly designed for America's video game generation.  Despite its considerable size, the vessel's fully automated system relies on a small crew of about 130 sailors.

The ship is built by Pentagon contractor, Raytheon, which claims it tested the ship's technology configuration on young video gamers. Much of the ship is built on angles, making it difficult to detect on radar.

According to the Huffington Post, the US Navy is fitting some of its Zumwalt stealth destroyers with the US military's new electromagnetic rail gun, which is capable of firing projectiles at seven times the speed of sound -- with pinpoint accuracy.  

"The US intention to station these ships in Japan is a reminder to China of the sophistication of US weapons systems," Berger claims. "With China upgrading its own naval capabilities and putting greater emphasis on maritime territorial claims in the South China and East China Seas, this arms race between Washington and Beijing is one to keep an eye on."

"Newest Weapons"

The Washington Post says, however, that even the US Navy has publicly questioned the vessels usefulness, saying the ship is vulnerable to enemy missiles and submarines. And critics have cited the $22-billion program behind the Zumwalt destroyer as an example of the Pentagon's budget bloat and misplaced priorities.

The Japan Times claims the US Navy has allotted some $16.42 million for preparatory work on the Sasebo naval pier in its fiscal year 2017 draft budget.  Construction is scheduled to begin sometime between May 2017 and October 2018.

"Meanwhile, the pier repairs at Sasebo appear to be in line with the US military's strategy of deploying its newest weapons in the Asia Pacific region," the Times report says.

Beijing and Tokyo have a long-standing quarrel over the Senkaku -- or Diaoyu -- Islands, which are roughly due east of mainland China and west of Okinawa, in the East China Sea.

China has stepped up maritime patrols in the waters off the Japanese-controlled territory in the past months, and the Japanese government has  grown increasingly worried about what Beijing intends to do next. 

In December, the Chinese coast guard's fearsome Zhongguo Haijing 31239 -- a vessel which used to be assigned to the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) -- entered the waters near the disputed islands, throwing Tokyo into a panic.

TagsChina-Japan relations, US-China relations, China-Japan Diaoyu Island Dispute