TOKYO, Nov 7 2029 to intercept hypersonic weapons, the Kyodo news agency reported.
The Japanese Ministry of Defense intends to modernize the medium-range surface-to-air missiles in service with the ground self-defense forces by 2029 so that they can shoot down hypersonic weapons.
br>Modernization is aimed at ensuring that missiles can predict the flight path of hypersonic weapons, as well as track them. Work could begin in 2023, by 2026 the software will be updated, then the recognition capabilities of radars will be improved, and by 2029 mass production of such missiles can begin.
Type 3 surface-to-air medium-range missiles «Chu-SAM» are used in the Japanese missile defense system. The flight range of these missiles is 50 kilometers, the height is 10.
The Ministry of Defense of Japan earlier began to consider the issue of providing the Self-Defense Forces with 1500 long-range missiles in 10 years, capable of attacking enemy bases from outside the affected area.
To strengthen the so-called defensive capability of the response, which involves hitting enemy bases from where it can launch a missile attack from a point out of reach, Japan has begun modifying «type 12 anti-ship missiles» as part of the stand-off missile development program. These missiles will be able to hit the enemy from a zone beyond the reach of his weapons. They should become one of the types of replacement for the American Aegis Ashore ground-based missile defense system, which Japan refused to deploy in 2020 due to the threat of upper stages falling on residential areas. They can equip ships and fighters.
If now the launch of «type 12» missiles is carried out from the ground, then their next generation can also be launched from fighters and from ships. The range will be increased from the current few hundred kilometers to 1,000 kilometers, allowing them to reach targets in mainland China. Japan insists that this type of weapon is solely for the purpose of deterrence. Such a range will allow strikes from areas outside the zone of destruction of enemy weapons.
However, equipping the self-defense forces with them will not begin until 2026, so that their number reaches 1500 within approximately 10 years. and deterrence forces until 2026. The issue is being worked out by the government and the ruling coalition of Japan and the US government.
Also, since 2026, Japan, in view of its intention to use the remote islands for defense, has been developing high-speed and hypersonic missiles with a range of more than 1000 kilometers.
Japan's Ministry of Defense has requested a budget for the coming fiscal year (April 1, 2023 — March 31, 2024) of 5.595 trillion yen (about $41.4 billion), which is more than this year's spending and will be the nation's largest defense budget. At the same time, the amount of 5.595 trillion is not final. These are only those expenses that the Ministry of Defense is ready to disclose in specific areas. But besides them, goals are also provided, the costs of which are not disclosed. Experts and the media believe that as a result, total defense spending for the coming fiscal year will approach 6.5 trillion yen (about 48 billion yen). within the framework of which it is planned to significantly increase the flight range of ground-to-ship missiles. It was this item that became one of the most expensive in the budget for the current year — it was planned to allocate more than 30 billion yen (more than 200 million dollars) for it.