Japanese Patriot Tests Planned in U.S.

Japan plans to conduct test launches of Patriot Advanced Capability 3 missile interceptors at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico before March 2009, the Associated Press reported (see GSN, Dec. 18).

A Japanese Defense Ministry official said that the tests, which would be the nation’s first missile defense exercises to be carried out in the United States, are scheduled to take place during fiscal 2009.  The Japanese newspaper Mainichi reported that the tests might take place late next year, but the ministry source said the timing of the tests has not been finalized.

Announcement of the exercise came as Japan and the United States press to develop joint missile defenses in response to missile tests and a nuclear bomb detonation conducted by North Korea.

Japanese defense officials have requested nearly $8 million in funding for the PAC-3 tests in the new Japanese budget, the official said.

Japan has deployed two of the systems near Tokyo and scheduled major defense exercises for the area.  By March 2011, the country expects to place PAC-3 units at another nine military bases (Chisaki Watanabe, Associated Press/International Herald Tribune, Dec. 21).

Security expert Toshiki Kaji, a former high-level official for Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force, cautioned against partnering with the United States in costly missile defense efforts, Kyodo News reported.

“Generally speaking, the total costs of long-term joint development of military capabilities with another country tend to swell, possibly three or four times initial estimates,” he said.  The current estimate is more than $8.7 billion, according to Kyodo.

Kaji also warned that Russia and China could respond to such Japanese  missile defense tests by stepping up their own missile armaments.

“Japan's success will have an impact on the nuclear potential of China and Russia in East Asia.  There is no doubt that the two countries will step up their efforts to develop missiles with a higher performance,” Kaji said.

“This system is simply for defense.  We don't recognize this weapon system as posing any threat to other countries,” said Adm. Eiji Yoshikawa, the top commander of Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force, following a Japanese Standard Missile 3 interceptor test this week (Kobayashi/Takei, Kyodo News/Japan Times, Dec. 20).

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