Japan is reportedly considering adopting the land-based version of the Aegis missile defense system over THAAD, citing the N. Korean missile threat. The system could potentially be used with Tomahawk missiles, making it a threat to Russia and China.
Tokyo has ordered a feasibility study into adopting the Aegis Ashore system, government sources told the Japan Times, as an alternative to the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, which South Korea chose to host despite criticism from China.
The newspaper says Japan would need six THAAD units to defend its entire territory, at a cost of $6.6 billion. Aegis Ashore costs around $700 million apiece, and only two of them would be required to protect the same territory, the report said.
Reuters cited the estimated cost of Aegis Ashore at $618 million to $706 million, and says the Japanese government favors it over THAAD. Neither report named its sources, saying they were not authorized to discuss the potential deal.
In March, Pyongyang conducted four ballistic missile tests, with three of the projectiles landing in the waters of Japan’s “exclusive economic zone.” Following the launch, Tokyo lodged a protest.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe claimed that the “latest launches of ballistic missiles clearly demonstrate evidence of a new threat from North Korea.” Abe also stressed that the test violated UN Security Council resolutions on Pyongyang, which prohibited the tests.
