Independent Working Group Report: Missile Defense, the Space Relationship, and the Twenty-First Century. »»
August 28, 2008
IWG Report 2007
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Japanese Ballistic Missile Defense
| Country: | Japan |
|---|---|
| Associated Country: | United States |
Details
Japan’s role in ballistic missile defense began in 1999, when North Korea tested its long-range Taep’o-dong 1 ballistic missile, which flew over Japan and landed into the Pacific Ocean. Since then, Japan has authorized its Defense Force to shoot down enemy warheads, and has worked closely with the U.S. in the development of BMD systems.(1)
In December 2004, the U.S. and Japan signed an agreement allowing for extensive ballistic missile defense cooperation between the two countries, including the mutual transfer of related technologies.(2) The following year, the two nations published “U.S.-Japan Alliance: Transformation and Realignment for the Future,” which predicted considerable future cooperation.(3)
In December 2005, Japan announced that it would pay one third to one half of the cost of the joint missile defense shield, $1-1.5 billion of the estimated $3 billion total cost.(4) Shortly thereafter, U.S. State Department released an official statement that Japan had become the U.S.’s most significant missile defense partner.(5)
Japan’s current BMD role includes the Aegis sea-based missile defense system; land-based Patriot Advanced Capability-3 interceptor missiles; and the new mobile land-based X-band radar.
Aegis Sea-Based Missile Defense
Japan is currently working with the U.S. to develop and deploy the Aegis sea-based missile defense system, which features Standard Missile-3 interceptor missiles deployed on Aegis-equipped cruisers and destroyers. Japan plans to deploy 36 SM-3 missiles bewteen 2007 and 2010 on four Aegis-equipped destroyers: Kongo, Chokai, Myoko, and Kirishima. Japan may also install the missile defense system on two new destroyers that are being built in Nagasaki.(6)
The U.S. and Japan recently test-launched a SM-3 equipped with an experimental “clamshell” nosecone, designed by Japan to more quickly release the interceptor’s kill vehicle. In the standard configuration for previous tests, the SM-3 missile must maneuver to eject the barrel-shaped kill vehicle, a process known as “pitch and ditch.” The newer nosecone eliminates the need for such maneuvers, which in turn means the kinetic kill vehicle can collide with and destroy its target more quickly.(7)
Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Interceptors
Japan plans to deploy 124 Patriot Advanced Capability-3 interceptor missiles by 2010. The first 32 interceptors will be purchased from the United States, designed to be deployed at the military air bases perhaps as early as next year, and the remainder domestically produced in Japan.(8) Japan has 24 air defense artilleries nationwide, and requires at least 30 PAC-3s to provide a basic defense of its airspace. However, to defend against limited, short-range attacks, such as those from North Korea, it requires more than 30 interceptors.(9)
The initial Japanese deployment plan includes Tokyo and six other major urban centers, as well as four military bases in Saitama, Shizuoka, Gifu and Fukuoka prefectures. Sources indicate that each base will each receive four PAC-3 launch systems between 2006 and 2010. There will also be a total of two backup units overall. Of these 18 systems, 15 of them will have eight missiles each.(10)
Mobile X-Band Radar
Japan is also deployed a new mobile X-band radar, designed to detect and track ballistic missiles. The X-band radar operates at a frequency of 10 gigahertz, and provides surveillance, acquisition, tracking, and kill assessment for missile defense systems. Built by the U.S., the radar has a longer detection range, enabling it to respond to ballistic missiles launched from deep within a continent, and is also capable of differentiating missile shapes.(11)
The X-band radar will be deployed in the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force’s Shariki base in Tsugaru, located in the northeastern Aomori prefecture. The radar will face the Sea of Japan, and will be operated by approximately 10 U.S. military personnel and 50 civilians. According to the report, the X-band radar is expected to be fully installed by December 2006.(12)
Footnotes
- CNN, 22 July 2005.
- Japan Times, 16 December 2004.
- Kyodo, 1 November 2005.
- Associated Press, 15 December 2005.
- U.S. Department of State, Press Release, 10 March 2006.
- Kyodo, 10 January 2006.
- U.S. Missile Defense Agency, 8 March 2006.
- Kyodo, 14 November 2005.
- Kyodo, 10 October 2005.
- Kyodo, 14 November 2005.
- Asahi Shimbun, 17 October 2005.
- Kyodo, 10 March 2006.
U.S. and Japan Plan New SM-3 Maintenance Base
The U.S. and Japan plan to build a joint base in the Nagasaki Prefecture for the maintenance of Standard Missile-3 interceptors, reports the UPI. According to sources in the Japanese Defense Agency, the facility would be located on a filled-in area off the coast near the U.S. Navy’s Hariojima ammunition depot in Sasebo. The U.S. and Japan would each maintain their own missiles, although the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force (MSDF) would be able to ask the U.S. military for technical assistance if it encountered problems, allowing it to minimize costs. The SM-3, which the U.S. Navy and Japan’s MSDF plan to deploy on Aegis warships, is capable of intercepting incoming ballistic missiles in space at altitudes of 200 to 300 km.
» More stories on: Allies, Japan, Sea-Based Systems
» Missile system details for: Aegis Ship-Based BMD, Japanese Ballistic Missile Defense
Japan Tests New SAM in Texas, with Anti-Cruise Missile Capability
Japan successfully tested a new surface-to-air missile system yesterday in a live training exercise, reports the AP. The system, known as the Chu-SAM, was test fired from Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, where Japanese forces have been training on their defensive missile systems. It had been tested six times previously at nearby White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, although Thursday’s launch was its first live training exercise. The Chu-SAM, manufactured by Mitsubishi Electronics, has a range of 50 km (31 miles) and is capable of shooting down aircraft, air-to-surface missiles, and cruise missiles. Up to 10 missiles can be fired from a single launcher to destroy multiple threats. The Chu-SAM will replace the HAWK missiles that Japanese defense forces have used since 1965.
» More stories on: Allies, Cruise Missile Defenses, Japan, Testing - Foreign
» Missile system details for: Japanese Ballistic Missile Defense
Four U.S. Aegis Ships to Gain SM-3 Interceptors
The U.S. plans to install Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) interceptor on four of its Aegis-equipped warships deployed in Japan in an effort to boost regional missile defense following North Korea’s nuclear test. According to U.S. officials, two of the four ships will be refitted and deployed in the spring of 2007 at the earliest, followed by the other two. The plan would bring the total number of U.S. warships equipped with SM-3 interceptors to five. The cruiser Shiloh, which already has the system, was deployed to the Yokosuka base in Kanagawa Prefecture in August 2006.
» More stories on: Allies, Japan, Sea-Based Systems
» Missile system details for: Aegis Ship-Based BMD, Japanese Ballistic Missile Defense
Yomiuri Shimbun: New Threat Calls for New Defense Initiative
The Japanese daily Yomiuri Shimbun suggests that North Korea’s nuclear test will lead to calls for a new Japanese defense initiative, including increased missile defense and perhaps a preemptive strike capability. It notes that North Korea has deployed about 200 No-dong missiles capable of striking most of the Japanese archipelago, and has tested them as recently as July 2006. Although most experts believe that North Korea remains unable to develop nuclear warheads small enough to be carried by these missiles, the Yomiuri Shimbun points out that the relatively small seismic waves observed after the recent nuclear test may indicate that North Korea is trying to decrease the size its nuclear bombs. The paper suggests that calls for the “early development of missile defense” and “ability to attack missile bases in North Korea preemptively” are likely to gain strength in coming months.
» More stories on: Nuclear Weapons, North Korea, Japan
» Missile details: No-dong 1, NHK-1/2
» Missile system details for: Japanese Ballistic Missile Defense
Japan Orders 16 PAC-3 Missiles from U.S.
Japan has ordered sixteen Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) interceptor missiles from the U.S., reports the October 11 issue of Jane’s Defence Weekly. The Pentagon informed Congress of the planned $144 million deal on September 29. The main supplier would be defense contractor Lockheed Martin. The proposed deal follows a similar notification issued in September 2004 involving the sale to Japan of 20 PAC-3 missiles with associated equipment and services valued at up to $79 million.
» More stories on: Japan, Allies
» Missile system details for: Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3), Japanese Ballistic Missile Defense
Sieff: New Japanese Prime Minister an “Enormous Boost” to U.S Missile Defense
Shinzo Abe’s smooth accession as prime minister of Japan will give an enormous boost to the U.S. missile defense program, writes Martin Sieff in the UPI. He notes that “Abe, the handpicked successor of outgoing Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, has made very clear he intends not only to stick with his predecessor’s groundbreaking programs on ballistic missile defense cooperation with the United States but even to accelerate them.” The new prime minister has inherited a large treasury and a robust domestic economy, meaning that “the flood of Japanese high-tech orders, especially for co-production of the Patriot, will continue as Koizumi and President George W. Bush anticipated.” In addition, Abe has made it clear that any diplomatic outreach toward Beijing, or anywhere else, “will not come at the expense of crash co-development of a broad range of BMD systems.” For these reasons, Japan will remain America’s most important global ally in the development of missile defense.
» More stories on: Japan, Analysis, Allies
» Missile system details for: Japanese Ballistic Missile Defense
Feulner on U.S.-Japanese “Special Relationship”
Ed Feulner, president of the Heritage Foundation, argues persuasively that the U.S. must establish a “special relationship” with Japan, as it has with Britain. The U.S. and Japan share similar goals vis-à-vis Asia, including the peaceful reunification of the Korean peninsula, maintaining stability in the Taiwan Strait, and ensuring the security of global energy supplies. In addition, Japan sits on the front lines of virtually any future showdown in Asia. “Take North Korea’s recent missile launches,” writes Feulner. “If those missiles worked, they could potentially reach American shores. But Japan knows North Korea could attack it at any time. And while Japan knows it can count on U.S. support, having its own skilled military could help deter North Korean aggression.” Japan also could serve as a check on China, which is rising economically and militarily. “Together, Tokyo and Washington can help China integrate into the world as a responsible stakeholder in the existing international system and eventually even move toward a democratic system of government,” suggests Feulner.
Regarding ballistic missile defense, the “special relationship” between the U.S. and Japan is already well underway. In December 2004, the two nations signed an agreement allowing for extensive missile defense cooperation, including the mutual transfer of related technologies. In December 2005, Japan announced that it would pay one third to one half of the cost of the joint missile defense shield, $1-1.5 billion of the estimated $3 billion total cost. Shortly thereafter, U.S. State Department released an official statement that Japan had become the U.S.’s most significant missile defense partner. Japan is currently working with the U.S. to develop and deploy the Aegis sea-based missile defense system, which features Standard Missile-3 interceptor missiles deployed on Aegis-equipped cruisers and destroyers; as well as Patriot Advanced Capability-3 interceptors; and tracking sensors.
» More stories on: Japan, Analysis, Allies
» Missile system details for: Japanese Ballistic Missile Defense
U.S. Army Activates X-Band Radar in Northern Japan
The U.S. Army has now activated an X-band radar in northern Japan to track regional ballistic missiles. On Tuesday, September 26, Brigadier General John E. Seward hosted a ceremony at Camp Shariki in the northern Aomori state to activate the X-Band radar. The system was moved earlier this summer from the U.S. military’s Misawa Air Base in Misawa, also in northern Japan. The two nations began working on the radar in 1998 after North Korea fired a Taep’o-dong 1 ballistic missile over northern Japan. The powerful X-band radar can identify objects from thousands of miles away and is designed to differentiate between decoys and real missile warheads. It is part of an ongoing U.S. and Japanese collaboration on missile defense that includes the joint production of sea-based Standard Missile-3 interceptors capable of destroying incoming missiles and the deployment of land-based Patriot Advanced Capability-3 interceptors around Japan.
» More stories on: Allies, Japan, North Korea
» Missile details: Tien Chi
» Missile system details for: Forward-Based X-Band Radar-Transportable, Japanese Ballistic Missile Defense
Japan Considers Sharp Rise in Missile Defense Spending
Japan’s Defense Agency yesterday requested a more than 50 percent increase in its missile defense budget, reports the AFP. The article quotes an official in the Liberal Democratic Party, who stated that the agency has requested 219 billion yen ($1.87 billion) for missiles defenses, up 56.5 percent from the current year. The increased budget is mainly to pay for the early deployment of more Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) interceptor missiles, but also includes costs for Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) interceptors for Aegis-equipped U.S. warships as well as advanced radars and joint research and development with the U.S. on missile interceptors. Japan is moving forward with efforts to build a joint missile defense system with the U.S. following North Korea’s July 5 test launch of seven missiles into the Sea of Japan, including a long-range Taep’o-dong-2. The LDP official notes that the Defense Agency’s proposed total budget for fiscal year 2007 is up 1.5 percent from the current term to 4.86 trillion yen ($4.2 billion).
» More stories on: Allies, Budget, Japan
» Missile system details for: Japanese Ballistic Missile Defense
Japan Launches Sixth Aegis Warship
Japan today launched its sixth Aegis destroyer, the Ashigara, which will be fitted with anti-missile capabilities next year. The AFP reports that the Ashigara, the heaviest of Japan’s Aegis destroyers, was put to sea from the southwestern port city of Nagasaki amid fears over a possible North Korean missile attack. The Japanese warship will be equipped with U.S.-designed Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) interceptors throughout next year, according to a spokesman for the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Forces. The Ashigara joins the U.S.S. Shiloh guided-missile cruiser, the first U.S. warship to be deployed in Japan with the capability to shoot down short- and medium-range missiles, which arrived yesterday at the U.S. naval base of Yokosuka south of Tokyo.
» More stories on: Allies, Deployment, Japan
» Missile system details for: Aegis Ship-Based BMD, Japanese Ballistic Missile Defense
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