National Sep 20, 2018
The municipal assembly for Abu, named in May as a potential host site, unanimously adopted a petition asking the Defense Ministry to retract its plan to deploy the missile system.
NEWSWORTHY
National / Politics Aug 31, 2018
Japan's Defense Ministry eyes record defense budget amid North Korean and Chinese threats
The budget proposal released Friday calls for defense spending to rise 2.1 percent to ¥5.3 trillion for the year starting April 1.
National Aug 19, 2018
Japan's Defense Ministry to request record ¥5.3 trillion budget for fiscal 2019
The Defense Ministry is considering making a record request of over ¥5.3 trillion for the fiscal 2019 budget, informed sources said. The amount will be over ¥100 billion bigger than its initial budget for fiscal 2018 because of the plan to buy into Aegis Ashore, ...
National / Politics Aug 1, 2018
Japan and Russia agreed Tuesday to join forces to realize the denuclearization of North Korea and step up security cooperation, as the two sides remained at odds over Tokyo's planned introduction of new missile defense systems. Foreign Minister Taro Kono and Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera ...
National / Politics Jul 29, 2018
North Korea blasts Japan's Aegis Ashore missile shield plans
In a commentary North Korea’s ruling party newspaper hits plans by Japan to deploy a land-based missile shield, saying the Abe administration wants to become a “military giant.”
National / Politics Jul 24, 2018
Japan's land-based missile defense plan will cost double the initial quote, Defense Ministry says
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 ...
National Jul 3, 2018
Government to pick Lockheed Martin radar for missile defense system: ministry official
by Nobuhiro Kubo
The government has selected an advanced radar system made by the U.S. firm for its multibillion-dollar Aegis Ashore missile defense system.
National Jul 1, 2018
Japan to buy advanced U.S. radar for missile-defense system
by Tim Kelly and Nobuhiro Kubo
Tokyo’s upgrade could help ease trade friction with Washington and provide cutting-edge protection against the arsenals of North Korea and China.
National / Politics Jun 22, 2018
Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera on Friday sought to win local consent to deploy a U.S.-developed land-based missile shield, amid questions over the necessity of such a system as tensions ease on the Korean Peninsula. The government is pushing a plan to install the costly Aegis ...
National / Politics May 15, 2018
by Daisuke Kikuchi
Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said Tuesday that Akita and Yamaguchi prefectures are candidate sites for installations of the Aegis Ashore anti-ballistic missile defense system, naming specific prefectures for the first time. On Monday regional bureaus of the Defense Ministry contacted the two prefectural governments, asking ...
National / Politics Feb 1, 2018
U.S. test of Aegis Ashore missile interceptor fails as Japan prepares to deploy system
The test came after the United States approved a plan in early January to sell four SM-3 Block IIA missiles to Japan.
National / Politics Jan 16, 2018
Russia "seriously doubts" that a U.S.-made missile defense system to be deployed by Japan will be controlled by Tokyo and suspects the system could be used by Washington to launch attacks, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said. Lavrov told a news conference Monday that ...