Japan Plans to Produce Patriot Missiles

Japan plans to eventually switch from a U.S. supplier to a domestic defense contractor to fill its order of 124 Patriot Advanced Capability 3 missiles, the Japan Times reported yesterday (see GSN, Oct. 11).

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries ultimately is expected to be licensed to produce the missiles, at a cost of $4.2 million each, for deployment by 2010, defense sources said Saturday.

The PAC-3 system is intended as a backup defense against incoming missiles that elude interceptors fired by the Aegis air-defense system, according to the Times (Japan Times, Nov. 13)

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