Japan appears to want a boost-glide weapon

The details for the Japanese defense budget for next year are still being worked out, but there's one very interesting line item buried in the preliminary request. The overall budget is 2.5% higher, and increases overall spending to $48.1B USD. It includes funding for Aegis Ashore, SM-3s, SM-6s for evaluation, PAC-3 MSE missiles, more F-35s and E-2Ds, and a single KC-46.

Then comes the interesting part, almost buried where it won't be noticed. They are requesting almost $91M USD for development of a "high speed glide bomb". They don't give details beyond that, but that sounds suspiciously like it could be a boost-glide weapon.

thediplomat.com...

a reply to: Zaphod58

'Seems to make sense when you don't expect to have an enemy fully halfway around the world as some nations must contend.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Are the rewinging BAKAs?

a reply to: Zaphod58

interesting, i wonder who they will chose to help run this program. My bet is they get to there goal pretty quickly.

quick side note, i wonder if the Japanese don't have a few special weapons tucked away. with all those power plants and there knowledge of nuclear science i don't see why they wouldn't have a few squirreled away.

Add one of those to a hypersonic platform and NoKo better watch out. nuclear or not

a reply to: penroc3

There has long been suspicion that they had designed and modeled special weapons and could build them extremely quickly if they needed to. They certainly have the knowledge to do it if they needed to.

What is a boost glide bomb please?

a reply to: rigel4

It's a hypersonic glider. It uses a missile, usually an IRBM or something similar, that boosts it to the upper atmosphere, and accelerates it to above Mach 3-4+. After release it glides and accelerates to mach 5+.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: rigel4

It's a hypersonic glider. It uses a missile, usually an IRBM or something similar, that boosts it to the upper atmosphere, and accelerates it to above Mach 3-4+. After release it glides and accelerates to mach 5+.

Thanks !

That sounds like it could be on lil kim before hes finshed his first cheese of the day.

What advantages does this weapon have over a conventional Missile?

Yonhap just reported North Korea has the h-bomb,Japan may wish to develop an independant nuclear capability asap.

a reply to: Zaphod58

How much of the X15 stuff is classified anyway WE FLEW there before.

a reply to: rigel4

hard if not impossible to intercept, maybe the s-300 or 400 MAYBE. nothing NoKor has could stop this weapon

could be a weapon intended to be launched froma hypersonic aircraft too. Doesnt necessarily have to be launched from an icbm looking thing.

For fast sneaky attacks id build a hypersonic bomber if i were japan theyre more than capable enough to make a few of them as a country.

a reply to: Zaphod58

They are requesting almost $91M USD for development of a "high speed glide bomb". They don't give details beyond that, but that sounds suspiciously like it could be a boost-glide weapon.

Why not just give them cruise missiles?

Japan's defense is on a tight US leash.

Offensive capability is to work as proxy for US missions, whatever the uS military decides, Japan will do.

a reply to: intrptr

TLAMS are easy to intercept weapons, Boost glide weapons are simi cutting edge weapons technologies incorporated into a small effective weapon

a reply to: rigel4

It's faster, and a lot harder to kill when used in something like the antiship mission. The engagement time is significantly lower then against more conventional missiles.

originally posted by: penroc3
a reply to: intrptr

TLAMS are easy to intercept weapons, Boost glide weapons are simi cutting edge weapons technologies incorporated into a small effective weapon

Cruise missiles hug terrain, avoiding radar, powered flight all the way to target, can even go around a time or two as demonstrated in the attack on Syrian Air base.

'Boost and glide' is already well developed in rocket assist artillery rounds and multiple missile launchers. Theres no need to redevelop any of that. Like I said, they are Proxy, purposely underarmed for a reason.

a reply to: intrptr

other than the EXCALIBUR round there is no guided artillery rounds that i am aware of. With the new wave of BGW's they can avoid to a certain degree obstacles

a reply to: penroc3

That stuff has been under development since the 80's, despite what you've 'heard of'.

a reply to: intrptr

what stuff?

a reply to: Zaphod58

Not only do they have the knowledge zaphod, they also have one of the largest stockpiles of literal weapons grade very highly enriched high end radioactive materials on earth that they "fuel their reactorz with"

FWIW there's absolutely no way the Japanese had less than 3 completely operational the dsy they ratified the defense related law changes....

I'd also be outright shocked if 2 of those 3 operational weapons were not at least 3 warhead "MIRVS" LOL

(Only japan can i see pulling off. This sort of thing)