Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Cabinet approved the procurement of two Aegis Ashore batteries.
Japan is set to expand its ballistic missile defense capabilities with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Cabinet approving the procurement of two land-based Aegis Ashore missile defense systems on December 19, according to local media reports.
The two Aegis Ashore batteries, the land-based variant of the Aegis combat system, will strengthen Japanese defenses against China’s and North Korea’s growing ballistic and cruise missile arsenals. The government plans to deploy the two batteries by 2023 but has yet to make a decision on the locations of the new missile defense systems.
North Korea’s nuclear and missile development programs pose a particular threat to Japan’s national security. “North Korea’s nuclear missile development poses a new level of threat to Japan and as we have done in the past we will ensure that we are able to defend ourselves with a drastic improvement in ballistic missile defense,” Japanese Minister of Defense Itsunori Onodera told reporters in Tokyo today.
The cost for the two Aegis Ashore missile defense systems could exceed $2 billion.
“We cannot say what the final costs will be, but we will move ahead (to introduce Aegis Ashore) on the fastest possible schedule, given public calls that the government should deal as swiftly and urgently as possible with the ballistic missile defense issue,” Onodera said.
The Japanese government is still evaluating other options, including the possible acquisition of six Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) batteries.
