Japan may add SM-6 missiles to the country's future ground-based defense system to intercept missiles, Yomiuri Shimbun reported.
The SM-6 missiles would be in addition to SM-3 Block 2A missiles for defense against ballistic missiles, the Japan News, a Yomiuri Simbun publication, reported. It's all part of the planned Aegis Ashore system, a product of Maryland-based Lockheed Martin.
Chinese bombers flying near Japan have prompted to government to protect the island from cruise missiles, a number of government sources told the newspaper.
The Japanese government hopes to get two Aegis Ashore systems online in the next six years. The systems' SM-3 Block IIA missiles are a joint project between Japan and the United States. They would compliment the SM-6 missiles by protecting the island from high-altitude ballistic missiles.
Aegis completes series of air and missile defense tests during NATO exercise
The U.S. Navy and Missile Defense Agency, supported by Lockheed Martin has conducted a series of Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) tests in the Atlantic Ocean during Formidable Shield 2017 (FS-17) from Sept. 24 – Oct. 17, 2017. Naval forces from eight NATO nations participated in the exercise.
Formidable Shield is designed to demonstrate and improve allied interoperability in an integrated a … read more
