A leading Japanese daily says the Japanese Defense Ministry is considering ways for the Self-Defense Force to operate a light aircraft carrier that would be used to target the missile bases of hostile forces.

The Asahi Shimbun newspaper said Monday that the defense ministry is also planning on obtaining Harpoon missiles and Tomahawk air-launched cruise missiles, which have a range of 200 kilometers and 2,000 kilometers, respectively.

Last March, Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba told a group of parliamentarians that the nation should consider acquiring the kind of offensive ability necessary to counter enemy attacks.