As defense chief, Taro Kono faces test to prove himself as potential successor to Shinzo Abe
Having been handed the defense portfolio in the Sept. 11 Cabinet reshuffle, Defense Minister Taro Kono is now under a spotlight as observers watch for him to prove his credentials as a potential successor to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Formerly foreign minister, Kono is now ...
Abe's plan for U.S. Aegis Ashore missile shield rattles Akita residents
The sleepy neighborhood of Araya in the city of Akita seemed like the perfect place for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to put a U.S. anti-missile system. The area has reliably backed the ruling party and has firsthand experience of a North Korean rocket flying ...
Japan's Defense Ministry to redo surveys for Aegis Ashore deployment after flawed data revealed
The Defense Ministry presented a detailed plan on Wednesday for new surveys at candidate sites for the deployment of the Aegis Ashore land-based missile defense system. The new surveys are being conducted because the ministry used flawed data when giving explanations to a local government ...
U.S. test of previously banned missile raises fears of new nuclear arms race
The U.S. military has conducted a flight test of a type of missile banned for more than 30 years, under a treaty from which it bolted earlier this month, the Pentagon said Monday, in a move experts said was likely to have been closely ...
Independent candidate opposed to Aegis Ashore missile defense system deployment wins seat in Akita
An independent candidate opposed to the central government's plan to deploy a U.S.-developed missile defense system in Akita Prefecture defeated the ruling party incumbent in the Akita district in Sunday's Upper House election. Shizuka Terata, 40, was jointly fielded by the main opposition forces in ...
Japan will provide U.S. forces with information obtained from planned Aegis Ashore ground-based missile defense systems when necessary, Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya said at a news conference Tuesday. The comment suggests there is a possibility that the Aegis Ashore systems would serve as a radar ...
Defense chief apologizes to Yamaguchi governor for faulty Aegis survey
Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya apologized Wednesday to Yamaguchi Gov. Tsugumasa Muraoka over a mistake in a geographical survey conducted by the ministry that was used to select the prefecture as a candidate site for a U.S.-developed missile defense system. "We'll conduct the survey again and ...
Japan Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya apologizes over errors in Aegis deployment survey
The apology comes a week after the governor of Akita Prefecture criticized the ministry’s erroneous survey in connection with the deployment of the land-based Aegis Ashore missile defense system.
Akita governor blasts Defense Ministry over missile defense system survey errors
Akita Gov. Norihisa Satake criticized the Defense Ministry on Monday for making errors in the geographical survey that was used to select the prefecture as a candidate for hosting Aegis Ashore missile launchers. A ministry official was also caught snoozing when local residents were briefed ...
Mayor in Yamaguchi Prefecture asks Tokyo to scrap Aegis Ashore deployment
Norihiko Hanada, mayor of Abu, Yamaguchi Prefecture, has petitioned the central government to scrap its plan to deploy the Aegis Ashore land-based missile defense system within the prefecture. The Defense Ministry plans to deploy Aegis Ashore units at the Ground Self-Defense Force's Mutsumi training area ...
Japan's new Aegis Ashore systems will not be fitted with air defense capabilities
U.S.-developed Aegis Ashore land-based missile interceptor systems, when introduced by Japan, will not have Cooperative Engagement Capability equipment for air defense, it was learned late Saturday. The CEC equipment enables early-warning planes, Aegis destroyers and others to share positional data on enemy aircraft, cruise missiles ...
Russia has sent "squadrons" of nuclear-capable Tu-22M3 strategic bombers to Crimea in response to the deployment of U.S. Navy Aegis Ashore missile defense installations in Romania, according to a report in Russian state-run media. "The deployment of American missile defense systems in Romania came as ...
