Japan:  Defense Report Calls for Improved Missile Defenses

Japan should improve its missile defense systems and speed up research on cutting edge interceptor technologies, according to an annual Japanese defense report released yesterday (see GSN, June 24).

Citing a missile threat from North Korea, the Japanese Defense Agency encouraged continued military cooperation with the United States.  Tokyo spent $114 million between fiscal 1999 and 2002 on missile defense research and the Japanese military currently operates 27 Patriot missile defense batteries.

The 393-page report also calls for the establishment of commando units that specialize in chemical and biological defense (Kenji Hall, Associated Press/Yahoo!News, Aug. 5).

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U.S. Plans:  Officials Might Expand Airborne Laser Mission

U.S. Defense Department officials are considering using the developing Airborne Laser system to defend against a broad spectrum of missiles, Space & Missile reported today (see GSN, July 24).

The Airborne Laser is currently being developed to defend against theater ballistic missiles, but it could be used against intercontinental ballistic missiles, according to Air Force Col. Ellen Pawlikowski.

“With the ABM [Antiballistic Missile] Treaty going away, we are looking now at the full spectrum of missiles, not just the theater class, and how we best fit in with other members of the ballistic missile defense system,” she said.

However, Pawlikowski said the program will require some minor improvements.

“There will be certain things that will be redesigned, smaller pieces and components, but we’re sticking with the same basic design,” she said (Ray Nelson, Space & Missile, Aug. 4).

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U.S. Plans:  Defense Department Suspends Space-Based Kinetic Interceptor

The U.S. Missile Defense Agency has suspended plans to develop a space-based kinetic weapon to intercept ballistic missiles in their boost phases, Defense Daily reported today (see GSN, July 15).

The agency is still developing plans for a ground-based version of the program, but officials decided the technology for a space-based weapon was not mature enough to move forward.  The Pentagon has cancelled planned industry days on the space-based program.

“With the funding constraints and anticipated cuts to the boost-phase accounts in the FY ’04 defense bill, the space-based boost just does not fit,” an industry official said (see GSN, July 3).  The program, however, has not been shelved completely, Defense Daily reported (Kerry Gildea, Defense Daily, Aug. 1).

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