Japan Seeks to Coproduce Advanced Missile Interceptor Components

The Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun has reported that the Japanese Defense Agency wants to help produce components of a new missile interceptor being jointly developed with the United States, the Associated Press reported today (see GSN, Nov. 10).

The United States and Japan are currently working to develop a more-advanced interceptor to replace the Standard Missile 3, AP reported. The Japanese Defense Agency expects the missile to be ready for production in several years, and wants Japanese companies involved in the production process to stay up-to-date in defense technology.

Japan is currently unable to export weapons systems abroad, but did agree in 1983 to allow exports of weapons-related technology to the United States, according to AP. Some Japanese officials are concerned, though, that the exemption cannot be expanded to cover exports of weapons systems components (Associated Press, Nov. 24).

Meanwhile, the Japanese Defense Agency is also seeking more than $1 billion in the next fiscal year to purchase a U.S. missile defense system that would deploy the SM-3 interceptor onboard an Aegis-equipped destroyer, Agence France-Press reported (Agence France-Presse, Nov. 24).

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