MSDF captain first woman in Japan to command an Aegis destroyer
Maritime Self-Defense Force Capt. Miho Otani on Monday became the first woman to take the helm of one of Japan's Aegis destroyers and pledged to set an example for other female sailors in the fleet. "I expect you to pursue our missions without hesitation," Otani, ...
Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force launches new Aegis destroyer in Yokohama
The newest Aegis-equipped destroyer of the Maritime Self-Defense Force was launched Wednesday at a shipyard in Yokohama. The ship, built by Japan Marine United Corp., was named the Haguro at the launching ceremony, and is slated to go into service around March 2021. Once the Haguro ...
U.S. forces in Japan are set to establish a new command for the U.S. Army's ballistic missile defense unit in the Asian country, and have started stationing personnel, it has been learned. The move is apparently aimed at countering threats from North Korea, which still ...
Defense Ministry to equip Aegis ship with SM-6 missile interceptor system
The Defense Ministry plans to equip the Maritime Self-Defense Force's new Aegis-equipped destroyer Maya with the Standard Missile-6, or SM-6, anti-air missile system to shoot down cruise missiles, according to informed sources. The ministry included ¥13.2 billion in its fiscal 2019 budget request to acquire ...
Japan launches next-generation destroyer carrying latest version of the Aegis anti-missile system
A launching ceremony for an 8,200-ton, 169.9-meter warship for the Maritime Self-Defense Force was held Monday at a plant in Yokohama's Isogo Ward as Tokyo keeps steadily bolstering its defense capability against North Korean and Chinese missiles in close cooperation with U.S. military forces. The ...
U.S. missile defense systems gaining against Kim's ICBM threat: GAO
The U.S. network of ground-based interceptors intended to defend against an intercontinental ballistic missile fired from North Korea "achieved a number of major accomplishments" in 2017, according to the General Accountability Office. The system managed by Boeing Co. conducted its first successful flight test of ...
Japan, U.S. to hold enhanced tabletop exercise on missile defense
Japan and the United States will hold a tabletop exercise for ballistic missile defense on a larger scale than before, in their latest show of unity against North Korea, the Defense Ministry said Thursday. The annual exercise, aimed at enhancing tactical skills for ballistic missile ...
A decision by Japan to deploy a U.S. missile defense system will damage Moscow's relations with Tokyo and is a breach by Washington of a landmark arms control treaty, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday. Japan formally decided this month it would ...
The Cabinet approves a draft budget of ¥97.7 trillion for fiscal 2018, breaking the record for the sixth year straight.
Defense Ministry seeks extra ¥730 million in 2018 to install Aegis Ashore missile batteries
The Defense Ministry has requested an additional ¥730 million from the fiscal 2018 budget to build two land-based Aegis missile defense systems, Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said. The Cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe plans to endorse the deployment of the Aegis Ashore batteries on ...
South Korea, Japan and U.S. to begin two-day joint missile tracking exercise
South Korea said Tuesday it will hold a two-day joint exercise with Japan and the United States to improve their ability to detect and track missiles launched by North Korea. The exercise starting the same day in waters off South Korea and Japan involves four ...
Defense Ministry to ask for record ¥5.2 trillion budget amid North Korea concerns
The Defense Ministry plans to seek a record-high budget of ¥5.26 trillion ($48.1 billion) for fiscal 2018 as the country seeks to beef up its missile defense capabilities in the face of growing threats by North Korea, a government source said Tuesday. The ministry plans ...
