Japan Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

Jura said:

Jun 25, 2017
and now
Japan in Talks With U.S. on Buying Aegis Missile Defense

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  • Pentagon is providing initial data on ground-based system
  • Trump said Abe will buy ‘massive amounts’ of U.S. weaponry

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Japan’s Cabinet on Tuesday approved a plan to purchase a set of costly land-based U.S. missile combat systems to increase the country’s defense capabilities amid escalating threats from North Korea.

The approval will allow the Defense Ministry to buy two Aegis Ashore systems to add to Japan’s current two-step missile defense consisting of Patriot batteries and Aegis-equipped destroyers.

“North Korea’s nuclear and missile development has become a greater and more imminent threat for Japan’s national security, and we need to drastically improve our ballistic missile defense capability to protect Japan continuously and sustainably,” a statement issued by the Cabinet said.

The deployment will add to growing defense costs in Japan as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government pushes to allow the military a greater international role and boost its missile combat capability.

Defense officials say two Aegis Ashore units can cover Japan entirely by using advanced missile interceptors such as the SM-3 Block IIA, which was jointly developed by Japan and the U.S. and would cost about 200 billion yen (U.S. $1.8 billion), though they have not released exact figures.

Officials say they hope the systems are ready for operation by 2023.

Officials refused to disclose cost details until a planned release of a 2018 budget, in which defense spending is expected to rise to a record.

Abe has said he fully backs U.S. President Donald Trump’s policy of keeping all options on the table, including possible military actions, against North Korea. Abe has vowed to bolster Japan’s security cooperation and increase the use of advanced U.S. missile defense equipment.

Defense officials declined to give details about

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for Aegis Ashore deployment, while Japanese reports cited Self-Defense Force bases in Akita, northern Japan, and Yamaguchi, in southwestern Japan.

Defense officials said they chose Aegis Ashore over an option of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, because of its cheaper cost and versatility. Typically, a THAAD setup comes with 48 missiles and nine mobile launch pads, priced about $1.1 billion, and Japan would need at least six of those to defend the country, officials said.

The deployment of THAAD in South Korea triggered protests from China, as Beijing considers it a security threat.

Aegis Ashore can be compatible with the ship-based Aegis systems that are on four Japanese destroyers and also could work with SM-6 interceptors capable of shooting down cruise missiles, defense officials said. Japan plans to add four more Aegis-equipped destroyers in the coming years.

The U.S. has installed the land-fixed Aegis in Romania and Poland, and Japan will be a third to host the system.

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Jura said:

Nov 7, 2017

noticed Japan to buy Aegis Ashore missile defense systems

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The cabinet of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe approved the purchase of two Aegis Ashore missile defense systems this week to counter the threat of ballistic missiles from North Korea, though Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera told reporters that many specific details are still yet to be determined.

The Tuesday decision by the Japanese government comes after an August request for Fiscal Year 2018 funds for Aegis Ashore. The country had been

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.

Though many of Japan’s recent defense-related decisions have been in response to concerns about China, the decision to buy two Aegis Ashore batteries comes completely in response to a growing threat from North Korea. As that nation has continued its nuclear weapons test program, it continues to launch missiles in the direction of Japan. As North Korean technology improves, Japan wants increased protection beyond its current fleet of four guided-missile destroyers.

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that Aegis Ashore would go a long way in supplementing the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s fleet of Aegis-equipped destroyers, both in terms of range and ability to handle multiple threats at once. He made clear that “the threat against our national security from North Korea’s nuclear and missile development has become more serious and imminent than before and has risen to a new level,” and that two batteries of Aegis Ashore were needed to ensure round-the-clock protection.

“As

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, we understand that the range and capability of our defense will improve. Currently, the MSDF’s Aegis-equipped destroyers are responsible for missile defense, but given that this task must be performed constantly, on a 24-hours-a-day, 365-days-a-year basis, it is desirable to deploy a land-based system,” he said, according to an English translation of the press conference.
“The MSDF currently possesses four BMD-capable Aegis-equipped destroyers, and the number will increase to five, and ultimately, we will firmly defend Japan with a fleet of eight Aegis-equipped destroyers. However, the Aegis-equipped destroyers are originally not intended only for BMD but also for performing various tasks, including the defense of the southwestern region. When the Aegis Ashore system has been completed, the Aegis-equipped destroyers will be able to perform various tasks, making it possible to defend Japan more effectively.”

However, details about the cost of the systems, how soon they could be fielded, where they would be located and more are still hazy.

Onodera said it takes Japan about five years to acquire an Aegis Combat System for use on a destroyer, so the government is considering that a reasonable timeframe for Aegis Ashore acquisition. He said he is awaiting more details from U.S. officials but added that Japan “would like to introduce the new system as soon as possible.”

He also noted uncertainty over the cost but said “as it is necessary to introduce the system at the earliest possible date in order to meet the Japanese people’s requests in relation to ballistic missile defense, we will provide conscientious explanations in the Diet (legislature) while making efforts to realize the introduction as soon as possible.”

Regarding the location of the two Aegis Ashore sites, Onodera said the government would conduct a slew of studies in FY 2018 to determine the best location for the missile defense sites.

“Before deploying the system, we need to check whether the batteries can be securely deployed in locations effective for defense by conducting a study on the deployment feasibility, including geographic, geological, radio wave environmental surveys and measurements,” he said.
“After radio wave and geological conditions have been examined, we will start consultations with the local communities, as it will be necessary to obtain their understanding and cooperation.”

As for manning, Onodera said he believed the would be joint operations, with the Japan Ground Self Defense Force leading the mission. With the existing Aegis Ashore site in Romania, the Missile Defense Agency oversaw the acquisition and construction of the system and then turned it over to the Navy for operations, with about 100 personnel from U.S. 6th Fleet operating the site. Onodera said he thought that 100-man requirement would serve as a guideline for planning the Japanese sites.

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Japan mulls buying F-35B fighters

TOKYO - The Defense Ministry is considering buying new fighter jets that may be put on its "helicopter carriers," in what could be seen as a change in Japan's defense posture that has banned the possession of offensive aircraft carriers, government sources said Sunday.

The sources said the introduction of F-35Bs, which are capable of short takeoffs and vertical landings, will be useful to counter China's growing maritime assertiveness. They are expected to bolster defenses of far-flung islands in Japan's southwest, where only short runways exist, they said.

The move, however, is likely to trigger a backlash from China and other neighboring countries, because they could perceive it as contradicting Japan's so-called "exclusively defense-oriented policy" under the pacifist Constitution.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government has pushed for various changes in Japan's postwar security policy over the past years, most notably through the enactment of security legislation that largely expanded the activities of the Self-Defense Forces.

Under the strictly defense-oriented policy, the government has maintained that it cannot possess "attack aircraft carriers," saying that they are among what can be deemed as offensive weapons exceeding the minimum necessary capacity for self-defense.

The Maritime Self-Defense Force currently possesses flat-topped destroyers known as "helicopter carriers." Its largest Izumo-class carriers are 248 meters long and can carry up to 14 helicopters........ to read more

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SamuraiBlue said:

Hey Jeff-san, looks as if your prediction may come true.

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