Japan and the United States on Wednesday signed an arrangement to joint♏ly develop a new type of missile defense system as the allies seek to defend against the growing threat of hypersonic weapons, which a🐻re possessed by China and Russia and being tested by North Korea.
The project was initially agreed between Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and U.S. President Joe Biden at their summit in Washington last August. The Glide Sphere Interceptor is planned for deployment by th🍰e 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 c🌟ontractors and start the d🧜evelopment process by March 2025.
Hypersonic weapons are designed to exceed Mach 5, o📖r five times the 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 defen♓se ministry called it a “pressing issue” and noted that hypersonic weapons in the region h🍌ave dramatically improved in recent years.
Under the arrangement, Japan is responsible for developing a part at the interceptor's tip that separat🎃es 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 initial development a🅷nd testing of the interceptor, according to the defense ministry.
The cost includes making components♎ for the two companies, Raytheon Technologies and Northrop Grumman, that are developing the weapon in a competition led by 🍷the U.S. Missile Defense Agency. One will be chosen for the project.
The MDꦜA has 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-develo𝄹ped with the United States.
Japan has been accelerating its🦩 miliary buildup as it stresses the need to fortify its deterrence against growing threats. Japan has also significantly eased its weap🅠ons export policy to allow co-developed lethal weapons to third countries.
