The Defense Ministry has newly estimated that two land-based missile batteries the nation aims to deploy could cost around ¥400 billion ($3.6 billion), double the initial quotation, according to a government source.
If the prices of interceptor missiles and other expenses are included, the total cost of the two Aegis Ashore units could rise to nearly ¥600 billion — raising questions about the necessity for such an expensive system as tensions ease on the Korean Peninsula.
The government is pushing to install the U.S.-developed Aegis Ashore system in Akita and Yamaguchi prefectures, aiming to bring them into operation in fiscal 2023. Two batteries are believed to be sufficient to cover Japan's entire territory.