Japan's Push for missile defence

The Japan Defense Agency hopes to introduce by 2007 a two-phase, layered ballistic missile shield based on existing United States technology. This will involve a lower-tier Patriot (PAC-3) surface-to-air missile capability designed to intercept cruise and ballistic missiles close to the terminal stage of their flight trajectories, and an upper-tier, exo-atmospheric defence involving Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) boosters mounted on Aegis-equipped destroyers. These plans represent a radical shift in policy, which until now has stressed only precautionary research and development in collaboration with the US. They are intended to confront East Asia's expanding ballistic missile and Weapons of Mass Destruction threats, principally those emanating from North Korea.