Japan and the United States on Wednesday signed an arrangement to jointly develop a new type of missile defense system as the allies seek to defend against the growing threat of hypersonic weapons, which are possessed by China and Russia and b🔥eing tested by North Korea.
The project was initially agreed between Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and U.S. President Joe Biden at ಌtheir summit in Washington ☂last August. The Glide Sphere Interceptor is planned for deployment by the mid-2030s.
Wednesday's agreement determines the allocation of responsibility and decision-making process, a first major step in the project, Japanese defense ministry officials said. They hope to decide♍ on Japanese contractors and start the devel𝕴opment process by March 2025.
Hypersonic weapons are designed to exceed Mach 5, or five times t🔯he speed of sound, posing a threat to regional missile-defense systems with their speed and maneuverability. Developing interceptors of them is🦹 a challenge.
Japan's defense ministry called it a “pressing issue” and noted that hypersonic weapons in the region hav🐎e dramaꦡtically improved in recent years.
Under 🌊the arrangement, Japan is responsible for developing a part at the interceptor's tip that separates in space to destroy the incoming warhead, as well as its rocket motors, officials said.
Japan has earmarked 75.7 billion yen ($490 million) for init✃ial developmen🔯t and testing of the interceptor, according to the defense ministry.
The c♋ost includes making components for the two companies, Raytheon Technologies and Northrop Grumman, that are developing the weapon in a competition led b🔯y the U.S. Missile Defense Agency. One will be chosen for the project.
The MDA ha🧸s estimated the cost to develop the hypersonic missile interceptor will exceed $3 billion, including Japan's share of $1 billion.
The interceptors will be deployed on Aegis-class destroyers, like the ship-to-air Standard Missile-3 that Japan previously co-developed with the United Stat🗹es.
Japan has been accelerating its miliary buildup as it stresses the need to fortify its de✱terrence against growing threats. Japan has also significantly eased 𓄧its weapons export policy to allow co-developed lethal weapons to third countries.
