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| East Asia | ||
| Japan Plans Missile Defense System | ||
| 2003-12-19 | ||
Japan will begin building a missile defense system, the government said Friday, the first step of long-discussed plans to protect the country amid concerns about the threat from North Korea.
"Our other choice was developing nuclear weapons." "EEEEEEEKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!" "My apologies, I forgot the Chinese ambassador was attending this conference." Fukuda did not explain details of the program. Media reports said the plan calls for refitting four Aegis-equipped destroyers with sea-based anti-missile rockets and purchasing Patriot anti-missile rocket batteries starting next year. The new system will be deployed from 2007 through 2011, Kyodo News reported. And by 2007 the Aegis/Patriot system may have a few new wrinkles. The government will allocate $935 million for the program in the next fiscal year beginning April, while the cost for the entire program was estimated at $4.67 billion, the agency said. That’s big money by Japanese defense standards. The project will not fully shield Japan from incoming missiles, however. Analysts say the sea-based missiles and the Patriot missiles have imperfect success rates for shooting down projectiles. Their limited number also means they cannot provide cover for the entire country.
"No, no, certainly not!" ``It will not threaten neighboring countries, and will not have a detrimental affect on the region’s stability,’’ Fukuda said. He added it would not violate Japanese laws against defending other nations, since the system would be used exclusively by Japan for its own protection. You South Koreans are on your own!" | ||
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #11 Sorry for the late comment, but a two-page pdf data sheet for SM-3 is available at www.raytheon.com/products/standard_missile/ |
| Posted by: PBMcL 2003-12-19 11:58:14 PM |
| #10 OP, sonar is the same way. In Norfolk there is often one ship allowed to use active sonar for testing and training. I made the mistake of going to inspect a empty storeroom on the hull of my ship under the water line while a ship on the pier was pinging. It was deafening. I would think that an active sonar at the mouth of a jetty would prevent any attack from frogmen. Won't do much for any pilot whales or porpoises in the vicinity, though. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2003-12-19 10:11:01 PM |
| #9 Friend of mine worked on the only ABM system we deployed, up in North Dakota, in the 1970's. Said they had a perimeter fence 750 feet from the base of the radar, not for security but because anyone getting closer than that not coming through the concrete-lined accessway would be cooked in 2-3 minutes. One of the big problems was dead birds - they'd fly up into the beam and "poof", instant, fully-cooked crow - feathers and all. I took a radar course for non-specialists from GWU back in the 1980's. Some of the stuff they taught us would scare the crap out of half the lefties in the world. Some of the things you can do with radar, given the right frequency, the right antenna, and enough power... |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2003-12-19 6:59:06 PM |
| #8 Old style Hawk ada missle radars will cook you at 100 ft or less. |
| Posted by: raptor 2003-12-19 6:28:08 PM |
| #7 You got it RC. Not killing is one of the 3 weapons of the Mossad along with killin, sabotage, disinformation... wait one of the 4 |
| Posted by: Shipman 2003-12-19 3:28:17 PM |
| #6 SH, their not killing you may be a subtle form of disinformation. |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2003-12-19 3:01:09 PM |
| #5 SH is it true that the radar is what really does the missle killin? Homey don't think so. I think they still use a 55 radar for terminal guidance. Those things make me nervous. I imagine they can cook you from the inside close-up, but I don't know how far out the effect will project. I posted yesterday that maybe the Israeli's were using a 55 radar to explode suicide bombers before they got to target, but I was obviously wrong. It has been nearly 24 hours and I haven't been stranggled by a Mossad agent. I must have been barking up the wrong tree. :-) |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2003-12-19 2:18:53 PM |
| #4 SH is it true that the radar is what really does the missle killin? Are the SM3s are just like a magicians slight of hand. Follow the smoke trail and ignore the death-ray! |
| Posted by: Shipman 2003-12-19 11:57:54 AM |
| #3 I am glad we exported Aegis technology to Japan. I don't have a problem with providing Patriot batteries to Taiwan, but I would prefer to keep Aegis radar systems from proliferating. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2003-12-19 11:46:51 AM |
| #2 Japan said Thursday it was reviewing its self-imposed ban on arms exports to develop sophisticated missile defense systems with the United States. The government is expected to lift the ban for parts that could be used by the United States to produce missile defense-related equipment, the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper reported Thursday.The system will comprise US-developed SM-3 missiles launched from Japan's high-tech Aegis guided missile destroyers and land-based Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) anti-missile systems. Going to be joint development and production program, that'll save money on both sides. |
| Posted by: Steve 2003-12-19 8:44:40 AM |
| #1 Hmmmmmmmmm.... We've seen what the Asians can do when they really, really want to accomplish something. The Japanese are ready to do whatever it takes to defend themselves from NKor. I would be very surprised if the Aegis/Patriot systems they deploy are identical to the ones the US government sold them. I also expect to see some negotiations with the Israelis over the "Arrow" system under development there. If Bush is any kind of heavy thinker (or if Rice or one of his other advisers do some skull work), we may see a "cooperative agreement" worked out where the free nations of the world share their joint information about missile defense, with improvements being developed in many different countries. Those improvements may or may not be implemented throughout the free world, but I'm sure they WILL be discussed. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2003-12-19 1:01:04 AM |