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Japan, US Move Ahead on Weapons 05/16 06:09
TOKYO (AP) -- Japan and the United States on Wednesday signed an arrangement
to jointly develop a new type of missile defense system as the allies seek to
defend against the growing threat of hypersonic weapons, which are possessed by
China and Russia and being tested by North Korea.
The project was initially agreed between Japan's Prime Minister Fumio
Kishida and U.S. President Joe Biden at their summit last August and reaffirmed
between the leaders during Kishida's April visit to Washington. The Glide
Sphere Interceptor is planned for deployment by the mid-2030s.
Wednesday's agreement determines the allocation of responsibility and
decision-making process, a first major step in the project, Japanese defense
ministry officials said. They hope to decide on Japanese contractors and start
the development process by March 2025.
Hypersonic weapons are designed to exceed Mach 5, or five times the speed of
sound, posing a threat to regional missile-defense systems with their speed and
maneuverability. Developing interceptors of them is a challenge.
Japan's defense ministry called it a "pressing issue" and noted that
hypersonic weapons in the region have dramatically improved in recent years.
Under the arrangement, Japan is responsible for developing a part at the
interceptor's tip that separates in space to destroy the incoming warhead, as
well as its rocket motors, officials said.
Japan has earmarked 75.7 billion yen ($490 million) for initial development
and testing of the interceptor, according to the defense ministry.
The cost includes making components for the two companies, Raytheon
Technologies and Northrop Grumman, that are developing the weapon in a
competition led by the U.S. Missile Defense Agency. One will be chosen for the
project.
The MDA has estimated the cost to develop the hypersonic missile interceptor
will exceed $3 billion, including Japan's share of $1 billion.
The interceptors will be deployed on Aegis-class destroyers, like the
ship-to-air Standard Missile-3 that Japan previously co-developed with the
United States.
Japan has been accelerating its miliary buildup as it stresses the need to
fortify its deterrence against growing threats. Japan has also significantly
eased its weapons export policy to allow co-developed lethal weapons to third
countries.
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