Japan Pact Boosts Missile Defenses With New Radar

The recently signed pac between the US and Japan is going to give the Japanese a significant boost in missile defence. Japan will deploy the X-Band radar system for missile detection. The radar will have the ability to detect stealthy cruise missiles in addition to ballistic missiles. It also will have the ability to conduct electronic attacks with the radar system. Japan in increasingly worried about North korea and China and is moving to shore up its defensive capabilites. Im sure pretty soon, thier capacities will move from defensive to offensive as the threats grow. Ill bet that thier will soon upgrade thier F-15 to the AESA radar that the USAF and USN is beginning to deploy in numbers as well for cruise missile defence.

I also found this interesting that the US would "deploy additional complementary capabilities in and around Japan" for missile defence. Does this mean that Japan may soon house interceptors like Ft. Greely?

Under a new missile defense agreement with the U.S., Japan will deploy an X-band radar system that will bring it the advanced targeting discrimination technology needed to detect slow-moving, stealthy cruise missiles, besides the ballistic missile threats it already is planning to meet.

The pact, signed Oct. 29 at a meeting of top U.S. and Japanese defense and foreign affairs officials in Washington, is part of a defense package that will see a drawdown of U.S. forces in Japan even as joint planning by the two militaries grows closer.

With active electronically scanned array (AESA) technology, the X-band radars are more sensitive for long-range target discrimination, especially against low-flying cruise missiles emerging from a background of sea clutter. AESA shows promise as a system not only to detect but also to direct destructive energy against cruise missiles and other technology
X Band Radar

[edit on 11/10/05 by FredT]