Japan and the US will develop a new joint system to intercept hypersonic missiles

Tokyo, Aug 13 (EFE).- Japan and the United States have decided to jointly develop a new anti-missile system aimed at intercepting hypersonic projectiles in light of the advances made by China, Russia and North Korea in this field, according to local media reports this Sunday. .

The initiative aims to improve joint preparedness against weapons threats that would be difficult to respond to with the current missile defense network, and could be announced during Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s visit to Washington late next week. according to government sources to the Japanese newspaper Yomiuri.

If the project goes ahead, it would be the second joint missile interception system developed jointly by the United States and Japan, after the SM3 Block 2A, which is part of the Aegis ship-to-air batteries designed to shoot down short and medium range ballistic missiles.

The goal would be to have the new hypersonic anti-missile system capable of intercepting projectiles of this type, such as those used by Russia in the war in Ukraine, those tested by China or those being developed by North Korea, operational within a decade, according to the report. cited Japanese newspaper.

Hypersonic missiles are capable of flying at speeds up to five times the speed of sound (Mach 5) and fly at low altitudes and on irregular trajectories, making them especially difficult to detect and intercept with current technologies.

The project could be announced during the bilateral summit between Kishida and US President Joe Biden, scheduled for next Friday. This meeting will be held within the framework of the Japanese leader’s visit to Washington to also participate in a trilateral meeting with Biden and the South Korean leader, Yoon Suk-yeol.

The meetings could also announce new steps aimed at closer three-way cooperation to improve joint missile detection capabilities, and building on the harmony already achieved to share radar data in real time.

Japan also aspires to intensify its collaboration in satellite technology with the United States with a view to strengthening its capabilities in the area of ​​aerospace defense, within the framework of its strategy of expanding the scope of its military power against what it considers growing threats. from China or North Korea. EFE

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