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| China-Japan-Koreas |
| Japan: ASDF batteries to get advanced missiles by 2010 |
| 2005-10-11 |
| The Defense Agency has decided to introduce 18 Patriot Advanced Capability 3 surface-to-air guided missiles and components by the end of fiscal 2010 under the missile defense program, agency sources said Sunday. The agency aims to introduce more PAC-3s starting in fiscal 2011 to bring the total number to 32 nationwide, they said. "It is desirable to put PAC-3s in place at all 24 of our air-defense batteries nationwide. We need more than 30 PAC-3s to defend Japan's entire airspace," a senior official in the Air Self-Defense Force said. Japan and the U.S., jointly developing a ballistic missile defense system estimated to cost some $3 billion, signed an agreement in March allowing Japan to produce PAC-3 missiles for planned deployment during fiscal 2006. The missiles are designed to intercept and destroy incoming ballistic and cruise missiles. |
| Posted by:DanNY |