Japan could be interested to acquire American-made THAAD air defense missile system 10412162

Posted On
Defence & Security News - Japan
 
Japan could be interested to acquire American-made THAAD air defense missile system.
According some Internet news sources, Japan is considering to purchase the American-made air defense missile system THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense). After South Korea, Japan could be another new foreign country who is interested to deploy the THAAD.
     
According some Internet news sources, Japan is considering to purchase the American-made air defense missile system THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense). After South Korea, Japan could be another new foreign country who is interested to deploy the THAAD. A Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) mobile launcher sits on display in the new Lt. Gen. C.J. LeVan THAAD Instructional Facility at Fort Sill, Okla. (Photo U.S. Army)
     
In September 2016, The U.S. government has decided to deploy the THAAD to its military forces based in South Korea. Japan would be the second country in Northeast Asia to acquire the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system.

End of November 2016, Japan News website has announced that the Japanese government is considering concrete measures toward introducing the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD).

A committee in charge will be set up at the Japanese Defense Ministry to start full-scale discussion of the issue, while Japanese Defense Minister Tomomi Inada is making arrangements to visit Guam on Dec. 11-12 to inspect the state-of-the-art missile defense system at a U.S. base.

Currently, Japanese Defence Forces have a total of 6 Patriot group with 24 PAC-2/PAC-3 batteries. The Patriot PAC-3 missile defeats the entire threat: tactical ballistic missiles (TBMs), cruise missiles and aircraft. It has a maximum range of 160 km against standard aerial threats and 35 km against ballistic missile.

Standard Missile 3 is also carried aboard Aegis destroyers in the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force. It is complemented by the Patriot Advance Capability (PAC)-3 surface-to-air missile on land.

With the THAAD, Japan would like to increase its protection against the North Korea intercontinental ballistic missiles threat. THAAD missiles have an estimated range of 200 km, and can reach an altitude of 150 km.