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| China-Japan-Koreas |
| Japan to acquire air-launched missiles able to strike North Korea |
| 2017-12-08 |
| [Reuters] Japan is to acquire medium-range, air-launched cruise missiles, capable of striking North Korea, a controversial purchase of what will become the longest-range munitions of a country that has renounced the right to wage war. Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera did not refer to North Korea when announcing the planned acquisition and said the new missiles would be for defence, with Japan still relying on the United States to strike any enemy bases. "We are planning to introduce the JSM (Joint Strike Missile) that will be mounted on the F-35A (stealth fighter) as ’stand-off’ missiles that can be fired beyond the range of enemy threats," Onodera told a news conference. Japan is also looking to mount Lockheed Martin Corp’s extended-range Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM-ER) on its F-15 fighters, he said. The JSM, designed by Norway’s Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace , has a range of 500 km (310 miles). The JASSM-ER can hit targets 1,000 km away. |
| Posted by:Besoeker |
| #4 #2 Yes, DV, that is the unanswered question here: Will these missiles carry nuke warheads? Posted by: Abu Uluque 2017-12-08 13:11 The Japanese are nothing if not polite and subtle. The purchase of the JSMs and JASSM-ERs is the two minute warning. If the Chinese and the Norks don't get the message now, they have only themselves to blame for what comes next. Mike |
| Posted by: Mike Kozlowski 2017-12-08 19:14 |
| #3 Hey China, your move. Either you leash that animal in NKor, or people in the neighborhood will. |
| Posted by: Injun Bucket8891 2017-12-08 16:58 |
| #2 Yes, DV, that is the unanswered question here: Will these missiles carry nuke warheads? |
| Posted by: Abu Uluque 2017-12-08 13:11 |
| #1 Like that China? How about some with nukes on them? Ready to haul your little red headed stepchild in yet? |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2017-12-08 09:15 |