Japan Orders More PAC-3 Missiles from U.S.

Japan has ordered another 16 Patriot Advanced Capability 3 air-defense missiles, along with services and equipment, from the United States, Inside Missile Defense reported yesterday (see GSN, Aug. 24).

The U.S. Defense Department informed Congress of the planned $144 million deal on Sept. 29.  The main supplier would be defense contractor Lockheed Martin.

“It is vital to the U.S. national interest to assist Japan to develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defense capability, which will contribute to an acceptable military balance in the region,” the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in its statement to Congress.

The additional missiles would provide Japan with “advanced air defense capability versus conventional threats and limited air defense against theater ballistic missiles,” the agency said.

South Korea also plans to spend up to $1.5 billion on U.S.-made Patriot missile system support equipment and single channel ground-to-air radio systems, according to a Sept. 28 agency announcement (John Liang, Inside Missile Defense, Oct. 11).

Meanwhile, the U.S. military yesterday continued deployment of PAC-3 systems to its Kadena Air Base in Japan, the Associated Press reported.  Japanese media reports indicated that the transfer involved actual Patriot missiles.  A base spokeswoman would only say that equipment related to the system was moved.

Police on Okinawa previously removed dozens of protestors who hoped to stop the equipment from reaching the base, AP reported (Associated Press, Oct. 11).

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