Japan plans to develop a defense system using high-powered lasers capable of destroying a flying target instantly, a government source said Wednesday.
The Defense Ministry is considering mentioning the plan in its new version of the National Defense Program Guidelines, the source said. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Cabinet will approve the guidelines by the end of December.
Using state-of-the-art technology, the system would be designed to intercept flying objects such as drones carrying bombs or mortar shells, the source said.
In the future, the ministry will study the possibility of using the surface-to-air system to deal with other weapons including long-range cruise missiles and cutting-edge stealth fighters, according to the source.